TCSS 1: Step Through the Looking Glass
by Tegan's Muse
Summary: What happens when a stranger magically appears in Magnus' bedroom?
1. Chapter 1

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 1**

One second she was standing between Jack and Sam, the next she was being thrown backwards from some type of an energy surge that had just been discharged from the stout man's weapon; and the next she was gone.

Jack and Sam looked where she'd just been standing as several bullets whizzed between them, one caught the stout raven haired man between the eyes dropping him where he stood. It has been a lucky shot; her finger had squeezed the trigger when the energy blast hit her.

As the man fell to the floor in a heap of death, Jack looked at the mirror behind them. "Where the hell did she go?"

Daniel stepped between them and looked at his reflection. "Another quantum mirror."

"We should be able to see her, or at least where she went." Sam shifted her weight uneasily.

"We should." Daniel agreed. "But that's what it is."

And then he saw it, a large vertical crack in the glass. How he'd missed it before he wasn't sure, except he'd been in a state of shock over his teammate seeming to disappear into thin air.

"It's broken." He pointed to the crack running down it.

"We will have company soon." Teal'c listened for movement in the corridor.

"Teal'c's right." Jack looked away from the mirror. "We need to get out of here."

"But…" Daniel pointed to the mirror.

"You said it's broken." Jack glanced between Daniel and Sam. "Don't we have another one back at the SGC?"

"It's been moved to area 51." Sam nodded. "But yeah, it's probably our best chance of finding her."

"She could be injured." Teal'c spoke from his sentry spot.

"Right." Jack agreed. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."

* * *

><p>"Does anyone have any questions?" Dr. Helen Magnus sat in a chair in her office; her black stocking clad legs crossed, one leg over the other. Her left foot flicked upward to readjust its black stiletto. Her hands were folded neatly on top of her pen, trapping it and her clipboard between them and the black material of a skirt that ended just above her knee. Her light cream color blouse heaved slightly as she took a deep breath, her blue eyes wandering over the small group of her employees who felt more like family most days.<p>

She reached up and flipped her long dark curly brown hair over her shoulder as Will caught her eye. His sandy blonde hair was still in moderate disarray were he'd overslept that morning. From the stubble on his face and the dried toothpaste on his chin, he'd managed to at least brush his teeth before walking into the meeting in jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. He shook his head and pulled his blue eyes away from hers.

Kate shifted on the couch in her dark blue jeans and two layered cotton shirts. Henry was beside her, clean shaven for once. His blue gray eyes stared blankly at the oriental carpet while his thumb drummed out the rhythm in his head on the side of the tablet sitting in his lap. Across from him the Big Guy sat in a chair and grunted lightly at the noise Henry was making. He was by far the tallest of the group and 85% or more of his body was covered in hair which he wore dark pants, a white button down shirt and black vest over. He lifted his head and sniffed the air as several shots echoed through the Sanctuary.

"Bloody hell!" Helen jumped slightly and looked at Henry who was already taking his pen and flipping through security screens on his tablet.

"I'm on it." He mumbled as Kate inched closer to look over his shoulder.

"It sounded like it came…" Will paused listening.

"From your bedroom." Biggie looked at Helen.

"Right." Helen stood and nodded once. There weren't any security cameras in her bedroom.

"The hallway is clear." Henry looked up. "Has been for the last twenty minutes."

"EM shields?"

"They're up. No fluctuations." He double checked as he spoke.

Right. Will, you, Kate and Henry go to the armory and meet us outside my room." Her British accent seemed thicker as she doled out orders.

"What if –" Will looked at Biggie who was now standing next to Helen. He wouldn't let any harm come to her. "Never mind, we're on it."

Helen and Biggie were standing outside her locked bedroom door when the other three arrived with weapons. She took the gun from Henry's outstretched hand. "Tranqs only; I want answers."

The group nodded in unison, it was pretty much standard for them.

"Kate, Will, I want you to stay out here."

Kate stood on her tiptoes and moved back and forth trying to see around Helen, into the dark room, as she opened the door.

"Magnus, be careful." Will called after her.

She gave a quick nod as the Big Guy grunted.

Leading with her gun, Helen stepped into the large spacious room and immediately spotted an unmoving form lying on the floor at the foot of her bed. The door to her walk in closet was hanging half off its hinges and there was a crack in the middle of it. She knew it was a decent sized crack if she could see it in the room which was currently lit only by the sun creeping around the pulled shades.

"Bloody hell." She mumbled before looking back at the body on the floor and nudging it with her toe. It didn't move. "Lights."

Henry flipped the light switch on revealing a redheaded female with beautiful ivory skin and a perfectly sculpted face. She looked to be around five foot ten, but in her current condition it was hard to tell. Her eyes were closed and her head was at an odd angle where it had connected with the antique blanket chest at the foot of Helen's bed. The woman was dressed in army green BDU bottoms, combat boots, a black t-shirt, and an Alice vest with a P-90 strapped to it and a glock in the holster. Around one leg was another holster with an odd looking weapon that Henry's eyes kept gravitating toward. But it wasn't the odd weapon that caught Helen's eye, it was the woman's left arm; A biomechanical arm like none she'd ever seen.

"What's going on?" Will stepped into the room as Helen knelt beside the unconscious woman her fingers searching her slender neck for her carotid pulse.

Kate was almost attached to Will's backside she was following him so close. "Now that's fire power."

"She's alive." Helen looked at The Big Guy. "But we need to get her to the infirmary so I can assess just how severe her injuries are."

"Sure." He watched as she unclipped the P-90 from the prone woman's vest and slipped the glock out of the holster on the side of it before handing them off to Kate.

"I want to see that one." Henry's eyes danced as Helen undid the holster strapped to her leg.

"No." Her voice was firm as she handed it to Biggie. "Put it in my safe for now."

He grunted and jerked his head up before complying. Aside from her, he was the only one who knew the combination.

"Aw, come on boss." Henry whined.

"Not until we get some answers." She stood up and ironed her skirt with the palms of her hands. "I don't want you accidentally killing yourself, or anyone else for that matter."

"Give me a little credit." He grinned.

"I always do." She tilted her head on its axis. "I need you to figure out what happened. How she got here." She turned to Will. "You can help."

Will looked from the closet door to Helen. "Sure, but I could probably help…" He waved his hand toward the redhead and tapped his index finger against his temple.

"I'm sure I can use your assistance once she's actually awake, but until then –"

"Help Henry." He interrupted her. "Got it."

"Kate." She shuffled her feet turning to look at the youngest of the group. "Take the weapons to the infirmary, and I don't want you firing that one."

Kate's expression dropped slightly. "I never get to have any fun."

"You held up a bank last week." Helen reminded her.

"Yeah but that was work, and it's not like we took any money." She groaned taking Helen's gun. "But I won't test this baby out."

"Thank you." She turned to watch Bigfoot lift the limp body in one fluid movement."

"She's beautiful." Will commented without thinking.

Despite her military drab and her eyes still being closed, Henry nodded in agreement.

Helen looked from the form cradled in hairy arms to the two guys. "Just find out how she got past the EM shields."

"Of course." Henry nodded as Will stepped into the closet.

Aside from the strange and impressive looking mirror hanging on the back wall, the only thing that stood out to Will was Helen's collection of footwear. She was one of the few, no make that the only real life person he knew that could kick some serious ass in stilettos without hurting herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:

Step Through the Looking Glass 2

Helen pulled on a long white lab coat as she followed Bigfoot into the critical care room of her infirmary. It was on the lower level and Will sometimes referred to it as the dungeon. She didn't know why he hated to be treated there so much, and she corrected him on several occasions telling him most dungeons didn't have catacombs below them.

"Restraints?" Biggie asked as he laid the patient on the hospital bed.

"No." Helen's brow furrowed noticing the blood on Bigfoot's shirt as he pulled his arm from under her. "Not now. You need to get out of that shirt and disinfect yourself."

He looked at the blood and grunted sniffing the air again. He lifted his eyes and stared at Helen.

"Go, I'll be fine." She pulled on a pair of gloves, snapping the latex against her wrist and then reached for her penlight.

Biggie paused at the door and looked back at her.

She lifted one eye lid with her gloved thumb. She gasped and immediately pulled her hand back letting it slam shut.

"What?" The Big Guy stepped toward her.

"Nothing, I've just never seen eyes like that in a human before."

"Abnormal?"

"I don't know." She turned her head to look at him. "Go. The sooner you take care of that, the sooner you can help me."

"Hrumph." He growled disapprovingly in his throat but did as he was told. It was no use arguing with Helen Magnus. He'd known her for long enough to know he would lose.

Again she lifted the eyelid, this time prepared for the odd greens of the iris. She shone the light first in one eye and then the other.

"Pupils are equal and reactive to light." She spoke into the empty room. "That's a good sign."

Next she went in search of the cut that had left blood on Biggie's shirt sleeve. Despite the dead weight she easily turned the feather weight woman on her side and started running her fingers through the red shaggy bob that was a millimeter or two from needing cut per military regulations. She quickly found a dark wet clump of hair with a glistening maroon clot sticking to it and grabbed a stack of gauze to clean it up and get a better look.

"I need a suture kit." She spoke when the glass door opened and Biggie stepped in wearing sea foam green scrubs with a lab coat over them.

He grunted twice in quick succession and walked over to the supply cabinet.

"I think she caught the corner of my blanket chest." Helen looked at the still bleeding triangular shaped gash. "You've got quite a goose egg young lady."

There was no response. She wasn't really expecting one.

"Lidocaine?" Biggie held the vial up.

"Yes." Helen frowned. "I don't like that she's still unconscious. When we're done here I want to do a brain scan."

Biggie handed her the requested supplies and helped hold their patient on her side while Helen cleaned and sutured the wound. She checked the rest of her head thoroughly but didn't find any more lacerations. Several scars, but no more open wounds.

Helen checked her back pockets for a wallet or any form of identification but found none. When they rolled her on her back again she checked the remaining pockets but only produced an oatmeal raisin protein bar and a laminated picture of a young teen.

Helen sighed. "Help me sit her up. We need to get her out of these clothes."

Biggie grabbed a patient gown and helped Helen sit the rag doll of a patient up and carefully remove the Alice vest.

"Her shoulder's been knocked out of its socket." Helen held her hand over the swollen joint and could feel it move unnaturally. "Let's get it back in before we remove her shirt."

Without further instruction Biggie wrapped his arms across her torso, locking his hands over her right hip, and hugged her body to his.

"Ready?" She waited for him to nod and then she jerked the woman's right arm up and out until she heard a loud pop as the head of her humerus slid back into place. Her body jerked and turned toward Helen, who looked up half expecting to see those odd green eyes staring at her. Instead her body just slumped back against Biggie's chest.

"Well at least we got a pain response."

"Good sign?" Biggie's blue eyes regarded Helen.

She gave a small nod.

"Scissors?" Biggie held the redhead securely with one arm and handed Helen a pair of bandage scissors with his free hand.

She carefully cut the t-shirt off and peeled it away from her. She looked at the red whelps on the stranger's back and the bruises that were already turning black, some with blood pooling just below the surface. "Ouch. So I think I think it's safe to assume she put the crack in my closet door and knocked it off its hinges."

"Two inches of oak." Biggie grumbled.

"No easy task. I'm willing to bet she's got a couple fractured ribs."

"You think?" He rolled his eyes.

Helen nodded and moved her visual inspection to the woman's chest. A black sports bra covered her breasts but didn't hide the large red circle that was deep crimson over her sternum and faded as it spread out. "I wonder what caused this."

Helen cut the spandex and cotton material from her chest to get a better look. "It's not a rash."

Biggie grunted in agreement.

"Alright, we'll add chest films to the mix."

Biggie nodded making mental notes as he helped her pull the patient gown on and tie it in the back. Once that task was complete they laid her gently back in the bed and removed her boots, socks and fatigue bottoms. Helen noticed her left knee was a little swollen and when she went to palpate it she realized the patella was slightly misaligned. With practiced ease she manipulated it back into place.

"She got pretty banged up." Helen pulled the edge of the gown down to a couple inches above her knees.

"Head CT and chest films?"

"Yes thank you." She looked up noticing the dog tags hanging around the woman's neck. She'd been so caught up with the physical examination her eyes had slid right over them earlier without it registering. She slipped the ball chain carefully over her head.

"Kiser, Tegan." Her lips twitched. "Blood type O negative, universal donor."

Biggie grunted. "Well Kiser, lets get you scanned."


	3. Chapter 3

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 3**

"Hey Doc." Henry spoke as he came around the corner with Will and Kate in tow. They all had to turn sideways so Bigfoot could get by with the rolling bed.

"What did you find?" Helen stepped out of the room behind Biggie.

"Nothing." Henry shrugged holding up his tablet. "There hasn't even been a power surge or any fluctuation in the EM shields in the last twenty-four hours. And I've checked all the security footage. Unless she can turn invisible, she didn't walk into the Sanctuary. And even if she can, she would have set off alarms."

Helen shook her head. "Alright, thank you Henry."

"We found bullet holes in the wall above the mirror in your closet and the ceiling." Will reported.

"We?" Kate raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"Okay, so Kate found the bullet holes and I found the casings in your shoe collection."

"It's not a collection, Will. I wear them all." She tightened her grip on the metal ID tags she was holding.

He grinned. "Anyway, the shells appear to all be from her gun."

"What do you suppose she was shooting at in your closet Boss?" Henry had been hanging around Helen too much. He was beginning to sound like her minus the accent.

"I don't know, but I did find a clue as to her identity." She held the dog tags out to him.

"Tegan Kiser." He flipped them over in his hand. "US Military?"

"I don't know." Helen frowned slightly, but it showed more in her eyes than her mouth. "I want you to see if you can track down any information on her."

"You mean hack the US military data base?" He smiled unable to hide his glee.

"Like you haven't done that before." Will grumbled.

"I haven't," Henry paused in thought. "Not in search of personnel files anyway."

"Whatever you can find Henry. And the sooner the better."

"Sure thing." Henry walked away jingling the metal tags in his hand. He knew with the social security number on them tracking her down would be easy. He muttered to himself. "Piece-o-cake."

"What can we do?" Will inquired.

"Nothing until she wakes up, except go about your daily activities. We still have residents that need fed."

"Of course." Will mumbled.

"We'll get right on it." At least Kate showed a little more enthusiasm.

When Biggie returned Tegan to the room, Helen walked over and looked at her biomechanical arm.

"Amazing." She uncurled the fingers noting the rubber tips. Her eyes were running all along the lines of the black metal arm when she caught sight of the thumb reader and sighed. She had hoped to be able to easily remove the arm and only lightly restrain Tegan around her waist to keep her secure. But a thumb reader meant little chance of that happening. She sighed and turned to the computer screen to look at her scans and x-rays.

She had been right about the rib fractures. Tegan had two moderate fractures on the right side and one on the left with several hairline fractures throughout.

"We'll need to watch her for signs of pneumonia." Helen pursed her lips together as she reviewed the CT scan. "I don't see any signs of hemorrhage."

"That's good."

"There is something odd here though." She increased the magnification several times to make sure it wasn't an errant dead pixel it was that small. "A microchip of some sort?"

"Like they put in a dog?" Bigfoot asked.

"That wouldn't be inserted in her brain." Helen shook her head. It just left her with more questions.

Biggie watched her walk around and check Tegan's radial pulse with her index and middle finger while she ran the fingers of her other hand through the long bangs on Tegan's forehead. He grunted.

Helen looked up without moving her hands. "We don't know that she's an enemy."

"We don't know that she isn't."

"Which is why," Helen let her hand fall away from her forehead. "As soon as you help me stabilize her arm we're going to restrain her."

"Good." He voiced his approval and then grumbled something incoherent as he handed a sling and swath to Helen.

"I also want her on the heart monitor."

"Ankle restraints?" Biggie held them out after they had tied a padded hospital restraint to her biomechanical prosthetic and secured it to the bed.

"I don't think they're necessary."

He growled deep in his chest.

"We can put a waist restraint on and that should do."

"Magnus." Henry walked in as they finished securing her to the bed.

"What is it Henry?" She straightened and turned her full attention to him.

"Is that really necessary?" He pointed to the restraints.

"For now." She glanced at the heart monitor as Biggie finished connecting it and turned it on.

"She doesn't exist." Henry held the dog tags out to Helen.

"What do you mean?"

"There's not a single record of her anywhere. Not in the military database and trust me I looked everywhere. I even checked the social security database. The social on her dog tags belongs to one Robert O'Dell, who died four years ago in a car accident he was twenty-seven. And I don't know about you, but if I'm going to steal some dead person's identity, I'm going to at least make sure we're the same sex."

Helen lifted her chin curiosity burning deep in her eyes.

"Yeah, me too." Will spoke from where he'd been silently holding up the door frame.

"If the social's right, she was born in Virginia, but I got no hits on a Tegan Kiser being born in the last fifty years on any Virginian birth certificates." He glanced down at her for a second. "I've got a nation wide search running now, but it's going to take a while. I also took a still from the security footage to try and see if I can get a hit with facial recognition. I'm cross referencing military IDs as well as DMV photo databases."

"FBI?" Will asked.

"Of course I'm running FBI."

"Just asking." He shrugged with his brow. "She could be a Russian spy or something."

Helen shook her head and shot Will an incredulous look.

"Hey, it could happen."

She smiled wearily at him, before looking back to Henry. "Alright, good work Henry."

"Here, I thought you might want these back." He handed her the dog tags.

"Thanks."


	4. Chapter 4

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 4**

"That's interesting." Helen looked at the lab print out Will brought her.

"What?" He hadn't bothered to read it.

"Well for one her potassium is borderline low, but if she's an abnormal that could be normal for her. And two, there's an unknown element in her blood."

"Unknown as in?" He shook his head. Surely she didn't mean alien.

"As in unknown, not defined."

"Alien?"

"William." She gave him an incredulous look.

"What? Henry believes in ET."

"In my hundred and fifty-nine years I have never once seen any real evidence of extraterrestrial life."

She heard voices talking, murmurs really; a male and a female. The room smelled of antiseptic and she could hear the steady beeping of something she knew was familiar but she couldn't quite place it.

Her head felt like someone rather large and gelatinous was jumping on a trampoline while playing bongos, or maybe it was the Stay-Puft marshmallow man cage fighting the Michelin Tire guy inside her skull. She tried to open her eyes but someone had attached aircraft carrier anchors to them. The task was impossible. Add to all that her body felt like she'd been hit by a freight train and dragged for miles bouncing on the railroad ties behind it.

"Whatever." Will shrugged as Helen stepped up to Tegan, her fingers quickly finding her radial pulse point. He glanced at the monitor as her heart rate jumped from fifty-eight to one-twenty.

"Tegan?" Helen spoke her name while keeping track of the thready pulse beneath her fingers.

The smell of rubbing alcohol, a female voice, increased beeping. _Infirmary_ – yes that's where she must be. But the voice didn't sound like anyone she knew. Of course it did sound like she was under water, so it could be Janet. Infirmary meant Janet, or Dana and they were the only ones who checked her pulse when she was already connected to the heart monitor.

"Tegan."

There was that far away voice saying her name again, at least she thought it was her name. It was muffled and she wasn't entirely sure it was her name. Of course it was. If she could remember Janet and Dana, she could remember her own name, _Tegan. _

She scrunched her face up and a cross between a croak and a moan escaped her lips. "Ja-"

That wasn't the word she wanted to say, so she tried again. "Ja – net."

_Well close enough._

Helen and Will looked at each other and Helen raised an eyebrow. "Janet?"

"Yes." Tegan's voice cracked.

Will looked at his watch. She had been out just over four hours.

"You're Janet?" Helen asked and watched as Tegan's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"No."

"Tegan?" Will asked.

"Yes."

"Right." Helen pressed her lips together scrunching them to one side of her face before speaking again. "Tegan, I need you to open your eyes for me. Can you do that?"

She sighed lightly and Helen looked at the monitor, one-forty.

Helen looked at Tegan and then Will. "If her heart rate climbs much more I'm going to have to sedate her."

"No." Tegan's voice was stronger now.

"No?" Helen's left eye squinted quizzically.

"No." Tegan repeated.

"Open your eyes for me." She waited several seconds.

Try as she might she couldn't get them open, not all the way. She managed a sliver, the light assaulting her retinas told her she had.

"Come on, you can do it." Helen encouraged her.

_I don't need a cheerleader._ But it was more of a sentence than her mouth could form. The thought hadn't even finished in her head before her shoulder felt like someone stuck a white hot poker into it.

Helen had moved her left hand up to Tegan's shoulder without thinking.

"Argh!" The sound ripped from her chest and caused it to ignite like a barbeque pit doused in gasoline. The beeping from the monitor got closer together as her heart rate climbed well above two-hundred. But she was already mid scream and there was no stopping it.

Helen jumped back as her eyes flew open, her irises so dark green they appeared black, the rest of her eyes were glowing, emitting a stark white light. "Dear Lord."

When the scream died so did the light in her eyes, or Helen hoped. Tegan's eyes were closed again and she noticed she wasn't breathing. Her blue eyes darted to the monitor, the steady beep reassurance her heart was indeed still beating. Albeit too fast.

Two-ten was too fast for someone who had a resting rate of fifty-eight.

"Breathe Tegan." She stepped back up to Tegan's bedside and touched her warm forehead. It was slick with a thin sheen of sweat.

_No,_ Tegan answered in her head. _Hurts too bad to breathe._

She tried to recall the image of her surroundings back from her memory, but everything had been so bright and blurry. _Janet, _she wanted Janet. Where was she? This woman was not Janet. That much she knew.

"Come on, bloody breathe."

"Magnus." Will glanced at the monitor. Tegan's heart rate was dropping.

One-ninety – One-sixty – One-twenty – Eighty

Helen looked back at Tegan's ivory skin that was taking on an interesting shade of gray. "Breathe."

A quick glance at the monitor: fifty-two – forty-six. "Will get the crash cart and charge the paddles to one hundred joules."

Thirty-six

Her eyes flicked from the monitor to Tegan's face, a slight purplish tinge was kissing her lips. Her eyes went back up the monitor.

Twenty-eight

"She's not perfusing."

Will held the paddles out as Helen started to drop the head of the bed. She stopped as Tegan's face went flat, all the muscles relaxing. The beeping increased and Helen watched her chest rise. The color, what little there had been, was seeping back into her face. Her lips were a pale pink again.

"What just happened?" Will looked at the monitor readout. Sixty

Helen sighed, a small grin pulling at her lips. "I think she held her breath until she passed out."

"Wait, you're serious?"

"I'm not saying it was intentional. Though it could have been a fight or flight response. It also could have been a pain response, which is what I suspect led to the elevated heart rate."

"Elevated?" Will shook his head. "I thought her heart was going to explode."

Helen nodded.

"Did you see her eyes?" Will looked at Tegan's face. "Of course you did. What the hell was that?"

"I don't know." Helen walked over to the computer screen and pulled the footage up and replayed it. "I've – I've never seen anything like it."

Will watched her stare at the screen and shake her head.

She turned her head as Henry, Kate and Biggie came in looking flustered.

"We saw the footage." Henry pointed at Tegan.

"Our guest woke up, but she's out again."

"Guest?" Biggie grunted.

"Yes, our guest." Her eyes narrowed on him. "You of all people should know that I don't judge unfairly or jump to conclusions."

He clicked his tongue and grimaced under her reprimand.

"Sanctuary for all." She reminded him.

"What if she's a Cabal operative?" Henry asked.

"There is no more Cabal." Helen gave him a look that let him know he was treading on very thin ice.

"Besides those weren't…" Will let his voice trail off as Helen fixed her stare on him.

"Finish your sentence Dr. Zimmerman." She goaded.

He swallowed. She saved the title for special occasions, and none of them were good. "I was just saying that her eyes looked nothing like, Ash– the super abnormals the Cabal created."

"No, they didn't." She sighed and turned to look at Kate.

"I got nothing." She shrugged with her palms.

"Speaking of nothing;" Henry spoke drawing Helen's inquisitive gaze. "All the searches I ran came up empty."

Helen nodded, something in her expression told him she'd expected as much.


	5. Chapter 5

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 5**

People were talking. They sounded closer than last time, but still not entirely clear. Did she have cotton in her ears? She could make out the woman she had heard earlier, but there was a new male and a new female voice in the mix.

_Sam?_ No, Sam didn't sound like that. She listened to the beeping, tried to concentrate on it. It was steady, but whenever she took a breath her chest felt like someone was trying to rip her in two. Inhale and the beeps got faster, exhale and they did the same.

"Magnus." The Big Guy pointed with his chin to the monitor. "Eighty."

"You can stay; the rest of you out." She looked at their expressions. "For now."

"Fine." Will pouted as he rounded up Henry and Kate. "We'll be right outside if you need us."

"She doesn't need an audience." Helen looked through the large glass observation windows that made up one wall of the room.

"Fine, we'll be in the security room watching the monitor." Will threw back.

"It's time to feed the residents."

"Already done." Kate smiled.

"Go."

"Janet?" Tegan's voice was a soft groan as she experimentally opened her eyes. Bright, everything was still so bright, and blurry.

_What the hell? _ She closed her eyes. _Was that a sasquatch? A Hominid creature? _ She was surprised she could remember two big words in a row especially with the two world's largest sumo wrestlers throwing each other around in her head.

"No." The female voice from earlier answered. "I'm Helen, Dr. Helen Magnus."

"Air Force?" _Yes,_ she thought, she was in the Air Force. _See this isn't so hard._

"No." Helen looked at Biggie and then back down at Tegan. "Are you in the Air Force?"

"US" She paused, trying to remember where she was going with that. _Oh, right. _"AF"

"United States Air Force?"

"Yes." She coughed, her eyes flicked open and again the white light threatened to drown out her irises.

"Breathe." Helen glanced at the monitor as her heart rate doubled to one-sixty.

"Hurts." Tegan closed her eyes again.

"I know." Helen offered. "You fractured most of your ribs."

"Most?"

"You may have spared two." Helen glanced at the monitor; her heart rate was down to one-hundred. "I can give you something for pain."

"No." Tegan grunted and tried to lift her left arm.

Helen cringed slightly when the restraint pulled taunt. She watched the fingers of the biomechanical arm flex before curling into a fist. "Sorry, but until I know you're not a threat they stay on."

"Where am I?" Tegan opened her eyes again but quickly shut them.

"You're in my Sanctuary."

_Sanctuary? _ Tegan turned the word over in her head. It wasn't important. "Where's my team?"

"Your team?" Helen shifted uneasily and looked at Bigfoot who grunted.

She had to think who was on her team, _Janet, no Janet is my doctor, my lover. Sam, yes! _ "Sam, Major Carter."

_Score one, who else?_

"Magnus." A voice broken into the room.

"Go ahead Henry." Helen spoke into the walkie talkie.

"I did an energy scan to sweep for any unknown signatures in the Sanctuary and hers is the only one that comes up."

"Thank you Henry." Helen made mental note to talk to him about eavesdropping as she turned back to Tegan and pocketed her radio. "Can you open your eyes and look at me?"

Tegan shook her head and grimaced in discomfort. "What did you do to me?"

"I found you like that; all I've done is stitched up your head and reset your shoulder and knee."

_So that's why my knee hurts._ She grunted, "Tied me up."

"Well, I already explained that. Open your eyes."

"Want to." Tegan noticed the accent now. British, most definitely British.

"Then do it." She didn't understand.

"Too bright."

Helen looked at Biggie and nodded. He stepped away and dimmed the lights.

"Try now."

Tegan opened her eyes and blinked several times.

Helen smiled. Her eyes were still strange but they no longer glowed. The shifting hues of green were intriguing if not a bit unsettling. "There you go."

Tegan's eyes drifted to Helen's face. She could make out white, something pink moving, _that must be her mouth; _Dark spots where her eyes should be, a full head of long dark hair. Her eyes drifted downward, she tried to pull them up, to focus on the blurry face again. "Are you…"

"Am I what?" Helen asked, although she wanted to be the one gathering information she realized her charge might not be one-hundred percent cognizant.

"Always blurry?"

Helen grinned and her eye brow twitched. "Unless you wear glasses I think you sustained a concussion."

"'Splains it." Tegan's voice slurred slightly, her eyes falling again.

"Tegan?"

She felt something tickle the back of her right hand and realized it was hair. Helen, or Dr. Magnus, or whoever she was, had bent over her lowering her face into Tegan's field of vision.

"Tegan?"

"Oh, gah." The second word was strangled in her throat as her face contorted in pain and her eyes lit up.

Helen jumped back as she made the connection. "Get me IV supplies and ten mg of morphine."

"No." Tegan gasped.

"You're in pain." She glanced at the rising numbers on the heart monitor again.

"No morphine."

"Demerol?"

"Ok." The light in her eyes continued.

"Seventy-five of Demerol and twenty-five Phenergan."

"Janet?" Tegan gasped again. That was Janet's signature move, to trade Morphine for the Demerol-Phenergan cocktail.

"Who is this Janet person?" Helen looked at Tegan's arms, one was metal and the other was immobilized against her chest. She groaned to herself. "Bloody hell."

"Foot." Biggie grunted already knowing her dilemma and feeling it was the obvious choice.

"Of course."

"I'll do it."

Helen nodded and looked back at Tegan with concern deep in her eyes. "So, Janet?"

Tegan clenched her jaw. Her mind still wasn't clear but what if this was a trick to get information from her.

"Got it." Biggie announced as he taped the IV in place.

"Go ahead and give it to her."

"You can – " She took a deep breath, her heart rate climbing to two-hundred again. "Torture me. I won't give up anything."

Helen looked at Biggie as he pushed the medication into the IV port. When she looked back Tegan's eyes had stopped glowing and the light greens were seeping back. "I'm not trying to torture you. I'm trying to help you."

"I won't tell you…" Her eyes drifted shut.

Helen sighed and shook her head. She leaned down and untied the waist restraint and then walked around to the other side of the bed where she finished removing it and the one holding Tegan's biomechanical arm down. Behind her Biggie grunt twice in quick succession.

"I don't want to hear it, old friend." She cut her steel blue eyes to him. "I already know what you think."

"You need to eat." He shook his head leaving no question as to what he thought. "I will stay."

Helen looked at her watch. Was it dinner time already? She hadn't had anything since her Earl Grey during the staff meeting.

"It's Kate's night."

That meant either pizza from that hole in the wall pizzeria Kate always ordered from, or wonderful Indian fare if she was actually cooking.

Henry pulled the door open and glanced at 'sleeping beauty with the strange glowy eyes'; Will had come up with that one. His eyes gravitated to Helen's. "Dinner's ready."

"Pizza?"

"No." He turned his head as if to shake it. "Kate's dishing it out now."

"Go." Biggie gestured with his large hairy hands. "I'll stay."


	6. Chapter 6

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 6**

Helen sat at the table and inhaled the spicy aroma wafting up from the curried rice dish in front of her. It was something Kate hadn't made before.

"So?" Will watched the tension in her face. "Our guest?"

"She thinks I'm torturing her." Helen sighed and picked up her fork loading it with the saffron yellow rice. "Me."

Well nodded. Not that she didn't have a gentle touch most of the time, but being scrutinized by Dr. Magnus when you were injured, wasn't exactly fun.

"Maybe you should torture her." Henry shoved a heaping spoonful of food into his mouth. "Oh, this is sooo good."

"We don't torture people."

"Uh, hello?" Kate waved her hand and then did her best Magnus impersonation. "'Nothing personal, but they've got my daughter.' Bang!"

"I didn't actually shoot you." Helen reminded her.

"Awfully damn close."

"Besides, that was a totally different situation."

Kate just shrugged and took another bite as Henry's tablet beeped.

"What have I told you about working at the dinner table?" Helen pointed at him with her empty fork. She understood the need to keep his tablet with him, security and all, but she frowned upon him actually working while they were eating.

"This is interesting." He tried to add some contrition to his tone.

"What?"

"Nothing." He looked up with a mischievous grin. "You don't want me working during dinner, so I won't."

She took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring. "Spill it."

From beside her at the round table Will chuckled.

"I ran a search for death certificates with the name Tegan Kiser on them, and of course zilch. But for some reason this came up." He handed the tablet across the table. "A burial plot with two headstones; one for an Irene McCalister which lists a birth and death date, and one for a Tegan M. Kiser which only has a death date on it."

"How do you find this stuff?" Will looked over Helen's arm at the information complete with picture.

"Luck. It was buried, pardon the pun, in someone's blog."

"Yeah." Helen said distractedly. "There's no body buried there."

"What makes you say that?" Will leaned back.

"Just a death date after the nineteenth century usually means miscarriage or abortion."

"Why would someone put up a memorial for an abortion?" Kate pushed her plate away, her appetite suddenly gone.

"If it was done for medical reasons." Will answered. "I saw a patient while doing my clinical rotation who had done the same as a way of coping with her loss."

"Makes sense." Kate shrugged.

"I'll look into it." Henry tapped his pen on the tabletop.

"I'm not sure what good it will do in our situation." Helen wasn't sure it was a good idea.

"You never know." Henry took the tablet from her outstretched hand.

"I need to get back down there." Helen looked at her half empty plate apologetically. "Dinner was wonderful Kate, thank you."

"Yeah, no problem."

"You want me to wrap it over for you?" Will asked before she made it out the door.

"Yes, thank you young William."

He blushed still not sure what to think when she called him that.

"How's she doing?" Helen walked into the infirmary where Biggie was reading one of Nicolas Sparks' novels.

"She hasn't stirred." He glanced over at the sleeping woman.

"I've got it from here. You need to go eat. Kate is heating a plate up for you."

Biggie grunted as he walked past her.

A little while later Will walked in and shoved his hands deep into his jeans pockets. "Hey."

"William." She looked up and smiled.

"You should get some rest." He knew it was like talking to a brick wall, but he had to try.

"You know me, I never rest."

"I know." He looked over 'sleeping beauty with the strange glowy eyes,' and tried not to sigh. "She…"

"What Will?" She watched him shake the thought from his head and knew he wasn't going to share it.

"She'll probably sleep for a while."

"And I'm going to stay right here while she does."

"Do you think she could have been a Cabal experiment gone awry?"

Helen pursed her lips to one side and shook her head slightly. "I don't know. I'm sure we'll find out when she's a little more stable."

"What causes her eyes to, you know, glow?"

"I don't know Will, but every time I've seen it happen it's been associated with pain."

Will scrubbed his face with his hand. "Do you think she could have come through the mirror?"

Helen laughed lightly. "I think you need some fresh air Will."

"Just hear me out." He pulled up a stool and sat down on the opposite side of Tegan. "Let's assume for the moment that she can't teleport. I mean besides Druitt and the Cabal super freaks and Ashely, who all but John are no more, we don't know of any other abnormal that can teleport."

"No, but it's not impossible."

"Ok, but the EM shields would have kept her from getting through and there's nothing to indicate anything got through or even tried."

Helen nodded.

"So how else did she get in your locked bedroom?" He didn't pause for her to answer. "Short of her being your secret lover, I mean."

Helen gave him a small irritated grin.

"The bullets and points of impact all point to the mirror. It's as if something threw her backwards through it."

"You're talking about a mirror; glass and reflective paint."

"I know, but right now it's the best I can come up with." He shrugged. "Hey at least I didn't say she was an alien who beamed in."

Helen smiled. "Let me guess; Henry's theory."

"Probably." Will stood up and looked down at Tegan his eyebrows knitting together.

"What?"

He shook his head lightly, keeping his eyes on her face. "Rapid eye movement."

"Dreaming?" Helen stood up.

"It's almost too…" His mouth wrinkled in confusion just as she started to convulse.

"Help me get her on her side." Helen reached over and in one fluid movement they had her on her side. "I need two milligrams of Lorazepam."

"Sure." He made sure she had her before heading to the cabinet and pulling up the requested dose in a syringe. "Where's her IV port?"  
>"In her foot."<p>

"Uh, Magnus?" He pointed to the bloody spot where the IV had been. It had gotten tangled in the sheets and when she started to convulse it pulled free.

"Hand it here." She took the syringe and pulled Tegan's gown out of the way. She shoved the long needle into her thigh and depressed the plunger.

"Grand mal." He took the empty syringe from her and dropped it into the sharps guard before returning to the bedside.

"Come on. IV is so much quicker." She held her carefully trying not to make her injuries any worse. "You saw it coming on."

Will shrugged as the convulsions slowed. "I wasn't sure what I saw."

After a few minutes the convulsions subsided and Helen laid her back. "What other surprises do you hold?"

Will sighed as Helen grabbed the supplies she would need to start a new IV line and draw more blood.

She un-strapped Tegan's injured arm and carefully straightened it out. With practiced precision she tied the tourniquet and quickly found a vein despite the level of dehydration of her patient. She filled a syringe with blood and then taped the IV in place. While re-immobilizing her arm she glanced up at Will. "Can you get me a bag of D5 and normal saline?"

"Yeah." He pulled the bag out of the cabinet and primed the IV tubing for her.

"Thanks."

"No problem." He watched her connect the tubing to the IV port and begin infusion the clear solution. "You know she's going to sleep a while after that. Maybe you should sleep too."

"I need to look at her blood work."

"Magnus."

She looked up at his stern expression. "I appreciate your concern, but I will be fine."

"I'll stay with her, wake you if there's any change."

She held up the syringe in one hand as she pulled the sheet and blanket up to Tegan's neck with the other. Will sat back down on the stool.

"I'll be back shortly."

"Take your time."

When Helen came back ten minutes later she had another IV in her hand, a smaller one. "Her potassium is really low."

"Could that be what caused the seizure?" Will scooted his butt around on the stool.

"It's not impossible." She shrugged with her brow, but she didn't look convinced.

He watched her yawn as she piggybacked the potassium solution into the already running IV line.

"Go to bed or you won't be in any shape to interrogate her when she's alert."

"You make it sound like I'm some kind of mob boss."

"Okay, then when you play twenty questions with her." He smirked. "Is that better?"

"Hardly." She stifled another yawn.

"Seriously, I'll get you if anything changes."

"Fine."


	7. Chapter 7

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 7**

"Whoa!" Jack grinned causing both Sam and Daniel to look up and see the half naked woman standing in front of the mirror, her long dark hair cascading in curls down her back, white globes on her chest and the perfect curves.

As her head started to turn towards the mirror Daniel flicked the remote control pulling up another scene. "She definitely wasn't there."

"We could check it out anyway." Jack purposed hopefully.

"I don't think so Colonel." Sam shook her head. "We can't waste time if she's injured or in the hands of unfriendlies."

"Or if there's another Tegan there." Daniel reminded them of what happened when alternate Sam had gotten stuck in their dimension.

"Oh yeah." Jack shivered lightly at the thought. "Let's keep searching."

* * *

><p>Helen turned her head to the mirror and instinctively covered her breasts with her hands. She looked at the reflection staring back at her and laughed at her paranoia. Of course no one was on the other side of the mirror ogling her. "Damn that William for planting seeds in my head."<p>

She pulled her skirt off and slipped her nightgown on.

Will looked up as Helen came in freshly showered, her hair pulled back. She was wearing a pair of jeans, and a blue blouse that accentuated her eyes.

"I think you missed one." She held the shell between her thumb and forefinger. "I found it in my tennis shoe."

He looked down at the charcoal and lime green accented athletic shoes on her feet. He wrinkled his nose. They were cute, but he'd never seen Magnus wear those sneakers in the last two years he'd known her. "Sorry."

"No problem." She tilted her head toward Tegan. "How's she doing?"

"She hasn't moved." He thought Helen looked better. "Did you sleep?"

"I did thank you. You should probably do the same."

"Yeah." He stretched his hands above his head as he stood. "Have fun."


	8. Chapter 8

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 8**

Three hours later Tegan opened her eyes and blinked several times. She felt like death warmed over and had that groggy hung over feeling she got after having a seizure. She looked down at the IV snaking out of the back of her hand before her eyes drifted to the woman with the long dark brown hair.

Blue eyes looked up from the case file they were skimming when Helen felt eyes on her. Henry and Kate were out trying to round up a hairless dog like creature that was the size of a horse, and Bigfoot was starting the morning feedings. "You're back among the living."

Tegan watched her smile but she didn't return it, which was hard because she had one of those infectious smiles. Still she didn't much feel like smiling. She looked down as she lifted her biomechanical arm noticing it was no longer tethered in place.

"How are you feeling?" Helen stood up placing the file in her vacated seat.

Tegan's tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth and it felt like she was pulling industrial strength Velcro apart. "Fine."

"I find that hard to believe." Helen picked up a cup from behind Tegan's headboard and spooned out a couple small ice chips, offering them to her. "It's just ice."

"No more drugs?" As she spoke Helen slipped the ice chips past her lips. The sensation was like manna from heaven to her.

"I gave you something for pain and then Lorazepam when you had a grand mal in the middle of the night."

So she was right, she did have a seizure. She swallowed the melted ice feeling it trickle down her throat.

"More?" Helen held the spoon to her lips and when Tegan opened her mouth she slid a few in. "If you're up to it, we can try solid food a little later. You're a little bit on the skinny side."

Tegan didn't comment as her face screwed up in pain.

"Oh dear." Helen looked at the heart monitor as it went wild with the beeps growing closer together. She looked back at her patient and noticed she was walking her right hand up and over her chest using her fingers. "What are you doing?"

Again Tegan offered no response. She wasn't even sure why she was doing it, except she needed to and for some reason she felt more at ease with this Helen character then she had earlier. Besides she realized her situation couldn't really get much more precarious then it already was. She eased her fingers up to her left upper arm and slid her thumb into the reader. A second later her stump was free of the prosthesis.

Helen watched as Tegan let her right arm slide naturally back into the sling and made a mental note to tighten the swath so she didn't have as much movement. She reached her hand out and let it hover above the prosthetic arm. "Can I move it?"

Tegan looked at her with curiosity dancing in the shifting greens of her eyes. She hadn't expected her to ask. She watched Helen flick her eyes to the bedside table and nodded her ascent. "I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name earlier."

Helen placed the arm on the table looking it over with great interest before she returned her attention to Tegan. "That's alright; you've been through quite a lot. I'm Dr. Helen Magnus."

"Dr. Magnus." She repeated as if writing the name on her brain.

"Yes." Helen watched her eyebrow dip.

"Am I your prisoner?"

There was a ghost of a smile on her lips. "That really remains to be seen. For right now you are my patient and I've got a lot of questions I need answered."

"Such as?" Tegan queried.

"For starters, who you are and how did you get into my Sanctuary."

"Major Tegan Kiser, United States Air Force."

"Major?" She raised an eyebrow and held up the dog tags. "Right, except we can't find any record of your existence."

"What planet am I on?"

Helen looked at her for a long minute trying to determine if she was serious. When she deduced she was, she simply replied; "Earth."

Tegan sighed letting out an uneasy grunt as her chest protested the quick exhale.

Again Helen's blue eyes jumped briefly to the screen of the heart monitor but Tegan's heart rate was already returning to normal. "What planet are you from?"

"Earth."

"Good." Both of Helen's eyebrows flicked up and back down. "Because for a minute there I thought maybe you thought you were an alien."

"You don't believe in aliens?" Tegan's eyes narrowed on her.

"No, but I take it you do."

"You'd be surprised." She sniffed. "If you knew the things I've seen."

"I doubt that." Helen looked over as the door opened and Biggie stepped in.

"She's awake?" He glanced at the bed.

Tegan stared at the creature with the matted hair on his head and the large wet nostrils on his face. "Cryptid Homonid?"

"Yes." Helen looked at her with great curiosity. "But we call him Bigfoot. He's one of my oldest friends."

"You've got Bigfoot for a friend but you don't believe in aliens." Tegan moved her head to nod 'hello' but regretted the movement as the pillow pressure on her laceration changed.

Helen frowned at her lightly.

As if reading her mind Tegan assured her, "I'm fine."

Helen shook her head and wondered briefly if she was a telepath despite her scans showing no indication of it which caused her to wonder again about the microchip she'd almost overlooked. "You've seen a Cryptomundo before?"

Tegan looked between the two of them, she was tired or more so foggy headed but that was an easy question. "No."

"Are you an abnormal?"

"I've been called a lot of things before, but abnormal isn't one of them."

Helen shook her head again. "Your eyes, they're…"

"Different?"

"I've never seen that color green, and the way they shift hues."

"No one has." Tegan didn't tell her she was staring since everyone did.

"Yesterday, your eyes they…" She usually wasn't at a loss for words. "They emitted a white light several times."

Tegan nodded. "It's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

Biggie grunted loudly drawing her gaze.

"It wasn't a threat." She smiled lightly at him. "Just the very reason I can't tell you."

Helen shot the Big Guy a warning look. "You have an unclassified element in your blood stream."

"Yup." Tegan flicked her eyes back to Helen's face.

"Classified?"

"Yes."

"Microchip in your brain."

_She doesn't miss a thing does she? _Tegan didn't respond.

"What can you tell me?"

"My name is Tegan Kiser, I'm a Major in the United States Air Force."

"When's your birthday?"

Tegan glanced at the dog tags still in Helen's hand. "June 1, 1981."

"You're thirty-one?"

"Yes."

"What do you know about the Cabal?"

"The who?"

Helen shook her head. "Nothing. How did you get here?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Tegan closed her eyes but opened them a second later when she heard a tap on the glass.

"Hold that thought." Helen looked up through the glass windows to see Henry motioning for her to come out. Kate was standing beside him smelling the arm of her jacket and scrunching her face up in disgust. "Excuse me."

Tegan looked out to see the duo. The woman looked like she just ate a lemon and the blue eyed male was wearing a goofy grin and waving at her. She felt like part of a zoo exhibit, which was odd considering Bigfoot was roaming the halls.

"You have a meeting in one hour." Biggie reminded her as she started past him.

She glanced at her watch. "Heads of house teleconference, you're right. I almost forgot, thank you."

"Don't mention it." He grunted and turned back to Tegan who watched Helen approach the duo outside her room. The two immediately began an overly animated conversation, throwing their hands in the air. She couldn't make out what they were discussing.

"You caught it?" Helen interrupted.

"Of course." Henry turned his head with mock insult. "He's in the shoe sleeping off the four." He held his fingers up wiggling them. "Count them four tranqs it took to bring him down."

"Good." She made a face. "You both need to hit the showers. Oh, and Henry if you can wake Will."

"Already awake." Will grumbled into his coffee cup as he approached.

"Kate I need you to run an errand for me after you've bathed."

"Sure thing. What is it?"

Helen smiled softly at her enthusiasm. "Our guest could use some clothes. I've got a meeting to get ready for, but I'll leave a list with sizes and some money on my desk for you."

"Alright." Kate looked into the room where Bigfoot was waving a bedpan in frustration. She turned to Will and laughed. "Looks like you're on bathroom duty."

Helen turned her head to see Biggie looking out at her. He was pointing to the bedpan and shaking his head. She just gave him an exasperated look and a small nod before turning back to Will who was watching the others retreat. "I'll take care of that. I need you to fix her breakfast."

"Eggs, bacon, the works?" He asked.

"I've got –"

"The teleconference with the heads of house; I know. I'll sit with her and see what information I can glean from her."

"Don't push too hard."

"I never do."


	9. Chapter 9

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 9**

She headed back into the isolation room. "I've got it."

Tegan looked at Helen and shook her head. "You've got a meeting."

"She's right." Biggie grunted.

"You can stall them for a minute or two if I'm late." Helen instructed him.

"Look, all I need is my arm and someone to point the way to the ladies room."

Helen picked up the prosthetic and studied her face for a minute. "You're a little hard headed aren't you?"

Tegan shook her head and thought; _if you only knew. _

Helen helped her slip the prosthetic on. Again she had to use her fingers to walk her right hand over so she could put her thumb in the reader to get it to lock in place. The whole ordeal was extremely painful.

Helen glanced at the rising numbers on the heart monitor and sighed.

"Bedpan." Biggie held the silver colored metal bowl in the air again.

"No." Tegan ground out between gritted teeth.

"Up stairs in the…"

"Chamber pot?" Biggie knew what she was going to say before she even started.

"And the chair."

Tegan was sitting on the side of the bed when Bigfoot came back carrying the wooden chair with the padded seat that flipped up to reveal a hole that emptied into the chamber pot below. If she'd been on earth, her earth, in her universe, she would have made some flippant comment about bedside commodes and it not still being colonial times. Instead she bit her tongue.

"I'll be outside." Biggie put the chair down and retreated.

Helen looked over Tegan's back one more time. It was almost completely black from the deep bruising she'd sustained. It was hard to imagine the force it took for her to split the oak door and force it open. "Let me help you."

"I can do this." Tegan scooted to the edge of the bed while Helen pulled the privacy curtain closed. It was just a matter of standing, turning halfway, and pulling down her underwear. _Piece of cake._

Helen stood there watching the monitor with her back to Tegan, allowing her a modicum of modesty. When she heard Tegan stand up again she turned toward her. "Please."

Tegan took the outstretched arm and used it to steady herself. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Your meeting." She didn't know why she cared except Helen seemed to be genuinely nice. Of course she was aware of just how quickly that could change and the fact it could just be an interrogation technique. She would stay on her toes.

Helen pulled the curtain back. "They can wait if I am not there. It won't be the first time and I'm certain it won't be the last. But I do need to go."

Tegan nodded as Biggie retrieved the chamber pot.

She was only left alone a few minutes before a young male with disheveled dark sandy blonde hair came in. She'd seen him drinking coffee earlier and taking to Helen outside her room. He looked up at her with slightly blood shot blue eyes and smiled. "Hello, I'm Dr. Zimmerman."

"Medical doctor?"

He shook his head as he put the tray on the bedside table then tapped his temple with his index finger. "Psychiatrist."

"Great." Tegan raised an eyebrow as he maneuvered the over the bed table into place. "Think I could get a washcloth and some alcohol."

Will tilted his head the look of priceless confusion marring his features until she held her left hand up and wiggled her biomechanical fingers. "Oh, yeah sure."

After cleaning her hand she picked up the fork and speared some scrambled eggs with it. She smelled them and looked at Will who was watching her intently.

"If I was going to drug you, I'd just put it in your IV." He pointed.

She took a bite of the barely warm eggs and swallowed hardly chewing them up first. She dropped the fork on the plate and reached for the glass of ice water, leaving the coffee and orange juice untouched. In a couple large gulps she drained the glass of its liquid and sat it back down, the ice rattling as she did so.

"Wow." Will offered a half smile. "Want more?"

Tegan shook her head and pushed the table back.

"I went through all that trouble and you're only going to eat one bite? You didn't even try the bacon." He gestured to the plate. "Let me guess, you're Jewish."

"Irish and not hungry."

"Really I'm Irish; but I thought Kiser was –"

"German," She interrupted. "As is Zimmerman. My mom was first generation Irish, may father was German watered down with one-hundred percent proof jerk."

"Wow, ok." Will rocked back on his heels. "My ma was from Dublin."

Tegan gave a small nod. "Where am I?"

"You're in the Sanctuary."

"I got that much. I mean country? Region? Whatever."

"The United States, in a place called Old City."

_Old City? Yup, not my earth. _

"You really should eat. You haven't had anything in at least twenty-four hours."

"Is that how long I've been here?"

Will looked at his watch. "Twenty-five hours, almost on the dot."

Tegan closed her eyes and rested her head on the pillow.

"Shutting me out?"

"No, not yet."

"So, US Air Force, what's your rank?"

"Major."

"Really, already? You're what twenty-six, twenty-seven?"

"Didn't your mother teach you it's not polite to ask a woman her age?"

"She did, but she never said anything about guessing their age." He smiled. "It's a bad habit."

"Thirty-one." She stated flatly.

"Hmmm." He hummed thoughtfully. "So what do you do in the Air Force?"

"I'm a jack of all trades."

"Soldier, obviously from your guns, but what else? They don't just make you a Major based on good looks."

Tegan opened her mouth then formed her lips into an O before pressing her lips into a thin line.

"Okay, so how did you get here?" When she didn't respond to that question either he chose another route. "Did it have something to do with a mirror?"

Tegan's eyes shot open and up to his for a brief second before she dropped them to her lap.

Will grinned inwardly. He knew he'd been right. He still wasn't sure how, but it was progress. He stood up and put his hand on the tray. "Are you sure you don't want anymore?"

She let her eyes roam the tray. "Positive."


	10. Chapter 10

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 10**

"I was right." Will exclaimed when he saw Helen in the hall right after her meeting. She had changed into a black pant suit with a burgundy blouse and black stilettos. "She came through the mirror."

"She told you that?"

"No. But when I asked her if her arriving her had something to do with a mirror, the look she gave me, however brief, confirmed it."

"I know you're good at reading people and all, but traveling through a mirror? Seriously Will." She glanced sideways at him as he fell into step with her.

"Ask her."

"I plan to." Helen walked into her office and put her file down. "Did she eat?"

"No." He thought for a second. "One bite, that hardly counts."

"No it doesn't." She shook her head.

"Do you think she's an abnormal?"

"I'm still trying to determine that." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I want answers just as much as you do Will; Maybe even more so."

"I know." He looked down at the oriental carpet then back up. "I don't think she's a threat, do you?"

"Right this minute? No." She paused and pursed her lips. "But once she heals, I'm not so certain."

"But you took the restraints off."

"A gesture of goodwill; I'm trying to gain her trust and I'm hoping my gut isn't just feeling sorry for her in her current state."

"The Big Guy doesn't trust her." Will pointed out as if she hadn't noticed.

"He never trusts anyone from the start."

"True." Will smiled lightly.

"I should go check on her."

"Yeah." He stepped back letting her out of the room.

"Dr. Zimmerman tells me you didn't eat." Helen spoke as soon as she opened the door.

Tegan had seen her coming in and just shrugged with her lips.

"You need to eat, regain your strength so your body can heal properly."

She'd heard similar lectures without the accent and they had done little good. Now what she wouldn't give for that to be her very own Janet, in all her Napoleonic power mongering glory, standing there telling her why she needed to eat. She sighed.

Helen caught the sadness flash in her eyes before shifting to something cold and hard, but nothing she could give voice to. She pulled her eyes away and located her stethoscope. She had exchanged her suit jacket for a lab coat before coming in. "I need to take a listen to your lungs. Think you can sit up for me?"

Tegan grabbed the side rail with her left hand and pulled herself up with an inward groan.

Helen's eyes drifted to the monitor.

"It's fine, give it a second."

Sure enough, a few seconds later her heart rate came back down.

"You should let me give you something for pain."

"No." Tegan grunted.

"Something that won't knock you out?" She offered again.

"No." Tegan repeated.

Helen pressed the bell of the stethoscope on Tegan's back after putting the ear pieces in. "Deep breath."

She was so close her hot breath tickled the back of Tegan's neck.

"Again." Her voice was soft. She repeated the process listening to the four quadrants of Tegan's chest. She put her hand on Tegan's left shoulder and helped her back.

Tegan felt the front of her gown being pulled down and her eyes dropped to Helen's hand holding the thin cotton fabric. She took a deep breath, her lungs protesting the sudden expansion. She closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them again she could see the large red bull's eye on her chest. "What the…"

"You don't know what caused it?" Helen frowned.

"I was hit with some kind of an energy blast." She responded without thinking.

"From?" Helen pulled the gown back up tying it securely.

"I don't know." Tegan shook her head. "A weapon of some sort."

"I need to take a look at your knee." She put her hand on the covers and waited for Tegan to give her permission.

Tegan thought it was odd since she hadn't asked permission to pul her gown down. She moved her head up slightly and Helen pulled the sheets back.

"Dr. Zimmerman told me I should ask you about a mirror." Her head was bent down but she looked up at Tegan with her eyes as her hair fell like a waterfall around her face.

"You asked earlier how I got here."

"I did." Helen let her eyes fall back to Tegan's still swollen knee.

"Well." She hissed as Helen touched her sore knee.

"Sorry." Helen gave her an apologetic smile and pulled the sheets back up to Tegan's waist. She pulled up a chair and took a seat. "I'm done."

"Good." Tegan studied her face for a moment weighing just what she should tell her.

"I'm not going to torture you for information."

"Trust me, being here is torture enough." She watched hurt and confusion dance in blue eyes. "I didn't mean – no offense to your skills as a doctor or to your hospitality."

Helen nodded.

Tegan let the silence between them expand for several minutes listening to the steady beep of the monitor. Finally she took a slow even breath. "'I know why the caged bird sings.'"

"What?" Helen looked at her confused.

"I said –"

"I heard you. I guess the more appropriate question would be why?"

"Stockholm syndrome." Being military Tegan had been trained to withstand brainwashing by the enemy to an extent, and to endure various torture techniques. Her personal experience had expanded her ability to withstand even more brutal techniques of torture. So with all her experience why did she feel so compelled to answer this woman's questions? She didn't give Helen a chance to second guess her response. "Do you have a mirror that's about your height and it's rather thick and heavy."

Something sparked in Helen's eye. "In a strange rock formation?"

"Damn it." She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. _I am not going to cry. Shit!_

"Why?" Helen asked when Tegan opened her eyes again."

"It was right around where you found me?" She grasped onto that tiny thread of hope that it wasn't what she thought, but it snapped as Helen confirmed her suspicions.

"I don't understand what my mirror has to do with how you got here."

"It's a quantum mirror."

* * *

><p>"I told you!" Will smacked Henry in the shoulder as they eavesdropped via the closed circuit camera in the security room.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 11**

Tegan watched the vague recognition register on Helen's face. "Basically there are thousands, if not millions of alternate realities out there, or universes, and the mirror can transport you from one to the other."

"So you were just playing with this quantum mirror and came here?"

"Not exactly; I didn't even know there was a quantum mirror in the vicinity when I was hit by that energy blast. Evidently it threw me into an active quantum mirror that was connected to yours and the rest you probably know better that I do, since the next thing I remember is waking up to you and Bigfoot."

"That's crazy."

"Yeah." Tegan's brow wrinkled. "I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"It's not that I don't believe you. I just need a minute to wrap my head around it." After a minute Helen spoke again. "You said millions of alternate realities?"

"Yes."

"How do you…" Again she was at a loss for words.

"There's a remote for lack of a better term. You can dial in an alternate reality and it will appear in the mirror. If you want to go to that reality you touch the mirror and the blink of an eye you are transported there." Tegan shifted slightly in the bed. "There isn't another me in this reality, not living anyway."

"What makes you say that?"

"Two of the same people can't exist on the same plane. After about twenty-four hours an entropic cascade failure at the cellular level starts to occur. It's not a pretty sight, only happens to the non-native person and results in death if it's not remedied by one of the two people leaving that plane of existence."

"We have been unable to track down any real information on you." She prefaced it with real because she wasn't sure what the impact of the information Henry found would have, if any, on the current situation.

"I guess I can be thankful for that." She forced a smile which didn't go unnoticed by Helen. "You don't happen to have the remote do you?"

"No. The mirror was a gift from Vladimir Kirillovich about fifty-five years ago."

"The Grand Duke of Russia?" She watched Helen nod. "Fifty-five years ago? There's no way, you weren't even a thought in 1956."

"Actually, I was." Helen watched as something akin to panic spread across Tegan's features.

"Goa'uld?" _She can't be. _Tegan knew she would have picked up on the naquadah levels, but it was the only logical explanation.

Helen watched the numbers on the monitor jump all over the place.

One-twenty… sixty… one-eighty

The ECG showed her rhythm was off. She was having pauses and runs of SVT. Helen stepped up and put her hand on Tegan's shoulder. "Breathe."

Tegan looked up at her, her eyes glowing. "Don't touch me."

"You need to calm down and breathe." Helen didn't remove her hand.

"My, my, what have we here?"

Helen snapped her head, throwing hair over her shoulder to look at the intruder in the room. "Nikola, what are you doing here?"

"I tried to stop him." Biggie shrugged from behind the thin blue eyed, dark haired man in the black suit.

"I'm a bit busy at the moment." She turned back to Tegan who had just wrapped her biomechanical hand around her wrist."

"I can see that." Nikola ran his index finger along his jaw showing his amusement. "Do you need a hand?"

Helen ignored him as Tegan's grip increased on her wrist. "I will not be bullied in my own home."

Glowing eyes stared up at her and she could see the greens of Tegan's eyes had gone dark, almost black again. "I said don't touch me."

Tegan felt something wrap around her ankles and jerk her down in the bed. She turned her head and just before the darkness overtook her, she saw the man Helen had called Nikola still holding both her ankles.

"I had the situation under control." Helen barked at him as she noticed their audience of Will, Kate and Henry just outside the observation windows.

"Of course you did." Nikola's voice dripped with sarcasm as he straightened up and brushed imaginary dust off his coat sleeves. "I just thought you could use a hand, or two."

She spun around to see his grin. "When I want your help, I will ask for it."

He didn't even cringe under her rebuke. "What is she?"

"Human from what I can gather." Helen turned back to the monitor that was still alarming.

"Oh Helen, I don't have to tell you that humans don't do that." He waved his hand at Tegan's face.

"I don't believe I asked for your opinion." Helen looked down as a soft moan escaped Tegan's lips. "Can you help me pull her up?"

"Of course." Nikola pulled on his lapels but made no attempt to move.

"She means me." Biggie pushed him out of the way as he stepped around him.

"I want you out of this room now." She shot steel blue daggers at him.

"And that is the thanks I get." Nikola spun on his heel and stepped out to join the others.

Helen looked down at apologetic and pain filled eyes. "We're going to pull you back up in the bed. I'm not going to lie to you, this is going to hurt."

Tegan blinked slowly but didn't say anything.

Helen watched her face contort and her eyes glow white as they repositioned her, but to her credit Tegan didn't make a sound. When she was done Helen glanced at the alarming monitor and reached up to silence it.

"Can you make her some lunch?" She looked at Biggie.

"Sure." He looked down at Tegan and something he saw caused his expression to soften for the first time.

"I'm going to draw some blood out of a vein in your foot." Helen explained as Bigfoot left. "I'd like you to reconsider taking something for pain."

Tegan stared at the wall.

"I would just drug her ass and forget asking." Nikola stood in the doorway behind Will.

"Do you need any help?" Will asked before she could tear into Nikola again.

"Yes, you can get him out of here." She looked at Nikola. "I don't even want to see you until I'm done here."

Nikola threw his hands in the air and backed away. He looked at Will as he turned to him. "Give me a bottle of wine and I will wait in her office."

"You know she had made a lot of headway and you…" Will grumbled.

"Oh please, dear boy, I merely stopped her from hurting Helen."

Helen shook her head as the door settled in its frame drowning them out. Her wrist was red and tender from the grip Tegan had had on it, and she was sure if she had wanted to, she could have easily broken it. She cleaned the vein she found with alcohol. "You're going to feel a stick."


	12. Chapter 12

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 12**

When Helen returned after checking Tegan's lab work Tegan was staring at the food Bigfoot had made for her. The turkey sandwich looked so good, with the lettuce piled high and a big slice of juicy red tomato, it made Helen's stomach growl. He had even cored and sliced an apple to go with it. There was a cold can of coke, an empty glass and a glass of ice water on the tray. Tegan didn't even blink as she stared at the untouched food.

"Your potassium level is still low, lower then I expect it to be after last night's infusion. So, I'm going give you another bolus." She took down the bag from that night and hung the new one in its place. She turned her heels clicking on the floor. "You really need to eat."

Tegan lifted her arm and pushed the tray away.

_If I had time, I'd sit right here and eat half that sandwich. Maybe it would prove to her the food isn't laced with anything. _Helen lifted half the sandwich from the plate and sat down next to the bed. "Nikola can just wait."

Tegan watched Helen take a large bite of the sandwich. She knew the tactic; it had worked with Cassie but not with her. At the thought of Cassie it felt as if someone had just reached inside her with two hands and squeezed her stomach and her heart simultaneously. She closed her eyes and let a tear slide down her cheek.

Helen saw the tear escape and trek down the side of her face. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she did; this wasn't a woman who cried. She laid the rest of the sandwich down on the tray beside the plate and stood up. "Tegan?"

She could hear the concern deep in Helen's throat but she couldn't respond. If she did the dam would break.

"Tegan." She lightly put her hand on Tegan's shoulder and watched her biomechanical hand ball into a fist. Helen sighed, squeezed her shoulder and then let her hand drop. "My old friend is going to stay with you while I go take care of some things."

* * *

><p>"Nikola." Helen cleared her throat as she walked into her office where he was tending the fire. "What are you doing here?"<p>

"Can't I drop in to visit an old friend?" He straightened up and picked up his wine glass from the mantle.

"With you Nikola, it's never just a visit. You're up to something, what is it?"

"Nothing." He sauntered over to the couch and sat patting the cushion next to him beckoning her to sit. "I just wanted to see what my dear friend Helen Magnus was up to and I walk in to see you being attack by that creature."

Helen looked at him with skepticism burning deep in her blue eyes. "She is not a creature."

"She is a thing of beauty, is she not?" He flicked his tongue across his teeth and grinned like the Cheshire cat.

Helen tipped her head in agreement. With her fair skin and light freckles that Helen had only just noticed when she had seen the tear, she was beautiful. There was no denying that.

"Absolutely gorgeous except for the glowy eyes and that whole bionic woman thing she's got going on." He pointed to his left arm and did a full body shudder.

Helen cleared her throat.

"So tell me about the mirror."

"Who told you?"

"Ah, you forget. I'm a vampire, I have supersonic hearing."

"I could never forget you are a vampire Nikola." She smiled lightly. He was after all one of the original five. The same experiment that had significantly slowed her aging to almost a standstill had turned him into a living vampire. And maybe it was because of that bond that she found herself telling him all about the mirror.


	13. Chapter 13

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 13**

Tegan dosed off not long after Helen left the room. When she opened her eyes again she saw the young female she'd seen on the other side of the windows earlier. She was wearing a pair of jeans with multiple rips in them, and an aqua t-shirt with a large blue dragon fly printed on it. She was perched on the stool twirling a semi-automatic handgun on the table beside her.

"Hey." Her unique light brown-gray eyes raised from the gun to Tegan's face. "I'm Kate, Kate Freelander."

Tegan studied her face. If she had to guess, Kate was born in India and then brought up in the states. If she spoke her native tongue, Tegan couldn't easily discern an accent.

"This is where you tell me your name." Kate raised her brow in anticipation but let it drop after a few seconds. "That's ok I already know your name 'Major.'"

Helen cleared her throat from the doorway. "I thought I said no weapons."

"After what she did to you." Kate pointed to the bruises around Helen's wrist. "She almost broke your arm. I'm not taking any chances."

Kate slipped off the stool as she shoved the gun in the back of her pants. As she stepped past Helen she lowered her voice. "Besides, it's not loaded."

Helen touched her arm halting her retreat. "She didn't almost break it, and when I say no weapons…"

"You mean no weapons." Kate nodded. "Gotcha."

"See if you can help Will with dinner, he's liable to burn the place down."

"Sure thing."

When Helen stepped up beside the bed Tegan quickly eyed her wrist. It was lightly bruised all the way around. Helen followed her gaze. "It's nothing. I should have removed my hand the first time you asked. I've definitely received worse from patients, but I don't expect it will happen again."

Tegan wondered if there was an unspoken threat in there.

"If you don't want to talk to me or my staff right now, that's fine; but you will listen to what I have to say." She glanced at the monitor as a pause went by. She pushed the print button so she could get a better look at it.

She ripped the paper from the printer and quickly calculated it as a three second pause, not insignificant. She frowned lightly and looked back to see Tegan watching her expectantly. "Someone will be bringing you dinner down shortly and I expect you to eat it. You've gone," Helen looked at her watch. "At least thirty-two hours without eating."

Tegan looked away and spoke before Helen could continue. "I'm not hungry, and the average human can last at least seventy-two hours without water and three weeks without food. So save your nasogastric feeding tube speech for someone else."

Helen's forehead wrinkled, a combination of having her thunder stolen and wondering how Tegan knew what she was going to say. It was the second time in less than as many days she'd wondered if the other woman was a telepath.

"I've given the same speech before." Tegan informed her, leaving off the fact she'd also received it on several occasions.

"You've given it?"

Tegan nodded.

"Of course, you would have to have at least a four year degree to be an officer, assuming the rules are the same in your reality. So, medical doctor?"

"Among other things."

"Ah." Helen smiled one of her full mouth smiles that reached to her eyes.

"Sorry about the wrist."

"What wrist? It's forgotten, besides it was more my fault than it was yours."

Tegan shook her head.

"I'm sorry for Nikola's behavior. He never should have come in here."

"It's not your duty to apologize for him."

"I do believe my ears are burning." Nikola walked in carrying a tray. He stopped and looked at Tegan. "Well, hello there Sunshine."

Tegan glared at him until he put the tray down.

"Nikola?" Helen canted her head to the side. "Don't you have something you want to say?"

"Dinner is served." He smiled curtly at them both. "Chicken a la William."

"Thank you, Nikola."

"I can sit with…" He glanced at Tegan and licked the center of his upper lip; "Her, so you can go eat with the others."

"I appreciate the offer, but go." She shooed him away with two quick flicks of her hand.

"Fine, but don't say I've never offered to do anything nice for you."

She sighed and shook her head pulling the table over as he walked out. "At least try to eat."

Tegan picked up the fork and speared a piece of broccoli. She pulled it off the fork with her teeth and chewed it carefully before swallowing, and then she put the fork down on the plate.

"That's the best you can do?"

"I told you, I'm not hungry."

Helen pulled the paper from her pocket and held it out so Tegan could see it. "What do you make of that, doctor?"

"I think it's," Tegan sighed, she was worse then Janet if that was possible. "It's nothing to worry about because the patient was asymptomatic when it occurred."

"Is that so?" Helen re-pocketed the ECG print out.

"Yes." She responded, though she knew Helen didn't agree. "Are you sure you didn't get the remote with the mirror?"

"Positive. I've got a pretty good memory." She could sense her disappointment. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." She brushed her concern off. "My team will be looking for me. But since they haven't already found me then it's safe to assume something happened to the mirror or the channel was changed and they are searching the wrong realities. It could take years, decades even for them to stumble upon the right dimension."


	14. Chapter 14

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 14**

"What is a Goa'uld? I believe you called me one earlier."

Tegan blushed lightly. "Sorry, it's just when you said you were alive in 1956, I thought you might be one."

"I'm one hundred and fifty-nine years old. Nikola and I have known each other since we were back at oxford together in our twenties. If we have time later perhaps I will tell you the long version. But short version, five of us did an experiment and as a result we each received special gifts. Three of the five are still living." She noticed Tegan didn't have the 'yeah right' expression Will had initially sported when she shared her secret with him. "Tough story to swallow?"

"Not at all." Sure it sounded like some fantastical story but after what Tegan had seen in the last few years working with the Stargate program, there wasn't much that surprised her anymore.

"And now that I've told you my deepest darkest secret, how about you tell me about these Goa'uld?"

_Fair enough. _"The Goa'uld are the most evil creatures I've ever encountered. They are part of an alien race. These snake like creatures, for lack of a better explanation, are actually symbiotes and they are hell bent on destroying earth. They take humans and turn them into slaves. Some are used to incubate the immature symbiotes and they become these super strong warriors called the Jaffa. Others are used as hosts."

Tegan swallowed back the bile and bits of broccoli that kissed her tonsils. "The symbiotes embed themselves at the base of the brain stem and they completely take over the host's thoughts and actions. The host becomes this human with super human strength and the ability to heal itself. But the worst part about it is the whole time the human's consciousness is still there, locked away with no control as it watches all the horrible things it's doing. Once a Goa'uld blends with a host, there is no getting that person back."

She went on to explain the differences between the Goa'uld and Tok'ra.

"I think that is enough information for one day." Helen stood up when Tegan started coughing and her heart rate tripled again.

"You don't believe me." Tegan grimaced in pain,

"Surprisingly I do." Helen reassured her. "We can talk more tomorrow. For now you need rest. Can I give you something?"

"No."

"Please take something to take the edge off so you can rest."

"No." Tegan's voice was more forceful.

"Why?"

"Because I need to be able to wake up when the flashbacks that aren't mine come."

Helen looked at her curiously. "Goa'uld?"

She knew she couldn't be one, if what Tegan said was true because there had been nothing out of the ordinary, besides the microchip, on her brain scan. And she was pretty sure she wouldn't miss a snake like creature wrapped around a brain stem.

"Yes, and Tok'ra."

"But you said nothing of the host survives."

"It's a long story, short version; I'm an inhospitable host. A symbiote can't survive in my body."

"Abnormal?" Helen queried.

"No, a genetically altered human, and if you're running my DNA by chance, it won't show up. There were seven of us and I was the only one to survive into adulthood and even then the responsible alien race had to intervene so that I wouldn't die just a couple years ago. And that's the short version and by far more than I should have shared."

Helen watched the greens shift in her eyes and realized it was a wall going up. "That's more then you've shared with anyone in a long time isn't it?"

Tegan looked away. "Yes."

"Well, thank you Tegan for trusting me enough to share it."

"And you me." Tegan looked at the flash of sincerity in her eyes. It was really the only reason she could come up with for why she had been so open, and she knew she was probably going to hate herself for it.

When Helen walked into the kitchen she found Kate and Henry in there talking. She was glad to see her they weren't still eavesdropping; maybe her earlier talk with them had worked. Still she planned to password protect the infirmary security footage so only she had access to it.

"Hey." Kate looked up as she rolled her empty coke can between her hands. "You ready for me to go down there?"

Helen nodded. "No weapons this time."

Kate spun around with her arms up. "None."

"How's she doing?" Henry tilted his chin up.

"I don't know." Helen pulled the ECG paper out and looked at it again.


	15. Chapter 15

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 15**

It was a little after three when Helen woke from a dead sleep, she walked into her closet and stared at the mirror. She shivered at the thought of a Goa'uld coming through it. She shook her head and pulled out a pair of gray slacks and a light Salmon colored sweater.

It was after four when Henry looked up from is tablet to see Helen coming in the door. "Hey Doc."

"Good morning Henry." She looked at Tegan who was staring back at her. "How's our patient doing?"

"She hasn't slept all night." Henry reported.

"Missing home?"

Tegan shot her an incredulous look, reached for the side rail and pulled herself up. "I need to get out of this bed."

"Well then, you're in luck." Helen smiled. "Because I wanted to see if you wanted to get a bath."

"A shower would be great." Tegan hoped.

"Maybe once you're a little more mobile and after I remove those sutures from the back of your head."

"Fine."

"Good, let me grab a wheelchair and we'll head up to my room."

"How come I've never gotten to take a bath in your tub?" Henry complained.

"Because you have your own tub."

"Yeah, but yours is nicer."

"It is, isn't it?" She smiled at him. "I'll be right back."

When she returned with a wheelchair, from the current century, Henry was helping Tegan sit on the edge of the bed. "Man that's gotta hurt."

"Nah, I've been through worse." Tegan brushed it off.

"Are you serious?" He moved so he could look her in the eye.

"I've died more times then I care to remember."

"Ready?" Helen moved the chair in front of her.

"Are you going to at least disconnect me?" Tegan looked at the IV running in the back of her hand.

"I might." She grabbed a syringe full of saline, disconnected the IV, flushed the line and then capped it off. Then she pulled a glove and tape from her pocket.

"We should probably wait so I can take my prosthetic off. It's waterproof and all, but my stump could use a rest."

Helen nodded and looked at the wheelchair.

"I do know how to walk you know." Tegan inched to the edge of the bed as Helen held her hands out to catch her if she started to fall.

"Cute." Helen refrained from grinning and instead pulled on a serious face. "You will walk when I say you can walk, and not before."

"Prisoner?" With the current situation being so precarious she didn't dare argue.

"No." Helen watched her face as she stood for any signs of distress. She glanced at the monitor, Tegan's heart rate was holding steady at sixty. "Guest and patient."

"Uninvited guest." Tegan tried not to grumble as she turned and gingerly sat down in the wheelchair.

"A guest none-the-less." Helen glanced at Henry who was grimacing for Tegan as he watched her move. She looked back at the monitor. "Your heart rate seems to have stabilized. How's your pain doing?"

"What pain?"

Helen reached up to Tegan's right shoulder and let her hand hover a fraction of an inch above it. She could feel the heat radiating from it. "No pain?"

Tegan locked eyes with her. She wouldn't lie unless she had too. "Nothing I can't handle."

Helen couldn't decide if it was just her way, or if Tegan was going on the defense. "The good soldier."

"Something like that." Tegan looked away.

"Henry." Helen stepped behind the wheelchair and turned the monitor off. "There won't be a staff meeting this morning, please let the others know."

"Same time tomorrow?" He asked as he opened the door for them.

"Yes." Helen pushed Tegan out of the room she'd been in since regaining consciousness.

"You don't have to change your routine because of me." Tegan offered.

"I'm not." Helen pushed her through the empty corridor. "Things are never routine here."

When they got in the elevator Tegan was surprised it actually ran. She wondered if it wasn't one of the first elevators ever made. It was a rust colored metal with a large semicircular glass panel taking up half the back wall and it reminded her of art deco meeting the steam punk era that never was, at least in her reality.

As Helen pushed her into the room and past the busted closet door Tegan pointed to it. "I did that?"

"Your body did." Helen confirmed.

Tegan lifted her biomechanical hand to the back of her head.

"You landed right there." Helen pointed to the spot where they had found her. "I believe you hit your head on the corner of the chest."

"Is the mirror still there?"

"It is."

"Can I…" She stopped mid question as Helen turned the wheelchair and stepped into the closet far enough to flip the light switch on.

Helen looked at Tegan's reflection in the mirror, watching the recognition dance across her face and something totally different in those shifting green pools. If made to guess, Helen would say it was a mixture of pain and fear. But when she turned to look closer the emotion was gone. Helen turned the light out and returned to the back of the wheelchair. "Let's get you in the tub."


	16. Chapter 16

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 16**

Tegan took in the large spacious bathroom with the deep cream colored walls that almost looked like they were painted with eggnog. She imagined it looked even grander with sunlight filtering in during the day. The toilet was in a walled off section away from the large claw foot tub, sink and stand alone shower. The tub itself looked spacious enough for two people to fit in comfortably, and long enough that Tegan at five foot ten could almost lay own flat without bending her knees.

She could still feel the remnants of steam from Helen's early morning shower and smell her Jasmine shampoo hanging in the air. She watched Helen bend over the tub and adjust the faucets, her long brown hair falling forward. Tegan felt a pang of guilt as her mind registered for the first time the beauty of the woman in front of her. She wondered if she really was that pretty or if it was her kindness shining through. Still there was something very formidable about this pragmatic woman. Tegan closed her eyes for a moment and pulled Janet's face into her mind. It was like someone stuck a knife in her chest and twisted it. Every time she thought of Janet the knife twisted.

"Tegan?" Helen's voice broke into her thoughts.

She blinked and Helen was looking at her with concern deep in her dark blue eyes. "Thank you."

Helen smiled lightly. "I've seen it all before. We're both women, and we're both doctors."

"I know, but I've got it from here."

Helen shook her head slowly. "I'm not letting you fall in my tub and drown. A modest soldier; who would have guessed?"

Still Tegan didn't make a move.

"Would you rather I was male? Or maybe you would like Bigfoot to help you?"

"Both of my current physicians at home are female. And your Bigfoot doesn't like me."

"He'll come around." Helen carefully undid the swath and removed the sling from Tegan's right arm. She watched Tegan's expression closely for any signs of pain but quickly realized she was wearing a mask and for now at least she wasn't going to show her that kind of weakness. _Ever the soldier, _Helen thought.

Tegan watched manicured fingers gently pull the monitor leads from her chest after her gown had been removed. When that was taken care of it was time for her to stand and remove her underwear. She wondered if it would be any easier if Helen was Bigfoot. She shook the thought from her head, as Helen had pointed out, they were both doctors.

When she stepped out of her underwear she noticed Helen, who was only an inch shorter than her, had averted her eyes but was holding her arm out for Tegan to use to steady herself. Tegan decline the offer and stepped into the awaiting water on her own using the side of the tub and her biomechanical arm to lower herself into the lusciously warm water that smelled of roses.

She hadn't seen Helen slip the oil in.

Helen watched as Tegan manipulated her prosthesis and slid it off. "I'll put it on the wheelchair if that's aright?"

"It is. Thank you." Tegan tried to slip her protective sleeve over her head and off twice but couldn't manage. "Dr. Magnus?"

"Yes?" Helen laid a clean washcloth and individual soap, like you would find in a hotel, on the edge of the tub where Tegan could easily reach it with her right hand.

"Could you please help me?" Tegan lifted her stump slightly.

"Of course." Helen smiled softly. She'd intentionally not offered to help unless asked, sensing Tegan's intense need to be independent.

Tegan lifted her stump as Helen slipped the loop over her head and the sleeve off her arm.

"Interesting." Helen had seen the metal bar replacing Tegan's humerus in one of the chest films, but she hadn't actually seen the hole in Tegan's stump.

Tegan let her arm down, pulling it from Helen curious gaze.

"Sorry." Helen looked away. "I didn't mean to gawk."

"It's fine."

"Your stump is red."

"It just needs some air.

Helen nodded and put the black sheath on the wheelchair along with a large white towel. Once she taped a glove over Tegan's IV site she straightened up. "If you need help, let me know. I'll be right out side, and don't get out of the tub without me."

Tegan nodded once but made no promises. As soon as Helen shut the door Tegan relaxed into the water letting the warmth envelop her. She took a deep breath and her chest muscles spasmed in protest. She slid deeper into the water stopping when it came up to touch her chin.

When Helen heard the water slurping down the drain she stood up from the side of the bed and walked to the bathroom door with a frown pulling at her lips and brow. She knocked on the door. "Tegan?"

"You can come in."

Helen opened the door to see Tegan sitting on the side of the tub with the towel wrapped around her torso. "I thought I told you not to get out of the tub without help."

"Technically I'm not out of the tub." Her back was partially to Helen and both feet were still planted firmly on the tub floor.

Just what she needed another hardheaded smart alec around. Helen shook her head. "I had Kate pick you up some clothes yesterday. I hope you don't mind."

Tegan sighed and for a second Helen wondered if she had done the right thing. "I don't know how I can repay you."

Normally Helen would just say it was part of being a guest at the Sanctuary. Truth was she had money to spare and felt it was her destiny to help others, but she somehow knew Tegan wasn't used to handouts or charity. "We'll figure it out."

"Thank you." Tegan carefully turned around so her feet were now on the bathmat, and they both knew the thank you had little to do with the clothes.

Tegan let Helen help her get dressed so that she could keep her prosthetic off for a little longer. She was actually surprised at the clothes Kate had picked out, at least the outfit Helen helped her into. Instead of tight jeans like she'd seen Kate wearing she had gotten Tegan a pair of relaxed fit Lees. They weren't as comfortable as her favorite worn in pair at home, but they were close. She wondered if the midnight blue button down had been Helen's suggestion since it was easier to get her injured arm into.

Helen put a pair of clogs on the floor. "Kate said you could get more practical shoes later because combat boots really didn't let her know what your personal style was, and she was afraid you might hurt yourself in heels."

Tegan looked at the four inch heels Helen was wearing. "If they were stilettos, she's probably right."

"It just takes practice." Helen commented as Tegan slipped her feet into the clogs. She looked at her watch. It was almost six. Biggie and Kate would be finishing up the morning feedings if Kate hadn't over slept. "Hungry?'

"I think I could eat." Tegan stood up.

"Good." Helen picked up Tegan's arm and pointed to the wheelchair.

Tegan made a face.

"Humor me; I am letting you go without the sling for now."

Tegan sat in the chair thankful for small miracles, though her shoulder was already aching.

Helen laid the arm, protective sheath, sling and swath in Tegan's lap and then wheeled her down to the kitchen.


	17. Chapter 17

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 17**

In the kitchen Kate, Henry and Will were talking while each fixed something different to eat.

"I'm just saying knock from now on." Will complained to Kate while pouring coffee into his 'I Read Brains' mug.

"I did knock, you sleep through everything Will."

"I'm going to start sleeping in the buff." He turned to see Helen and Tegan, and blushed lightly. "I'm just saying."

"Like that'll stop me." Kate pulled her head out of the fridge and looked at Tegan. "Nice threads."

"Thanks." Tegan forced a smile.

"Morning." Henry dropped his toast on a plate and blew on his fingers.

"Good morning Henry." Helen grinned at him.

"What can I fix you two to eat?" Henry watched Tegan eye the Cheerios Kate was dumping into a bowl. "You need more then cereal, dude."

She cocked her head to the side and looked at him.

"What, I call everyone 'dude'."

"He does." Nikola confirmed as he slipped in behind Helen and kissed the air inches from her cheek letting his hand come to rest on the small of her back.

"Nikola." Helen sighed.

"At least act like you still like me." He moved his hand to his chest as she smiled faintly in his direction. "And good morning to you Sunshine."

Rather then return the greeting Tegan just stared at him.

"Nikola, I believe it's a tad crowded in here. Wouldn't you say?" Helen raised an eyebrow.

"I know when I'm not wanted." He let his expression drop slightly. "I'll be in your study drinking my wine."

"You mean my wine." Helen corrected. He was such a lush, though since becoming a vampire the alcohol had no effect on him, and not needing to eat food, it was one of the few things he truly enjoyed.

"My wine, your wine, same difference." Nikola turned and walked out.

"So?" Henry looked at Tegan.

"I think I lost my appetite."

"Don't let him get to you." Will walked into the adjacent dinning room. "He's like that with everyone."

"Here." Kate put her bowl of cheerios on the dinning room table along with the milk. "You can have this one, and I'll grab another bowl."

Helen smiled.

"I still need to…" Tegan looked at her prosthetic.

"They won't get soggy; I haven't poured the milk yet."

"Magnus, toast and tea?" Henry put the two items on the table next to the cheerios Kate had put down for Tegan while Helen helped Tegan put on the prosthetic arm minus the sleeve.

"Thank you Henry."

"Strawberries?" Will put a bowl of the sliced fruit next to Tegan's cheerios as Helen pushed her up to the table.

"Thank you." Tegan cleared her throat lightly.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you got enough to eat?" Will asked as he wheeled Tegan back into the infirmary after breakfast and giving her a short tour of the Sanctuary at Helen's behest.<p>

"Yes, thank you."

Helen looked up as they came in. "So what do you think of my Sanctuary?"

"It's quite impressive from what I saw."

Will had explained to her that Dr. Magnus tracks, protects and learns from the extraordinary creatures, some of which are paranormal, that inhabit the world. She offers Sanctuary to them all. Some are free to roam the halls, while others who are a danger to society are locked in secure habitats to protect them from extinction and to protect humans from the potential harm that they cause. He'd even explained that a majority of the abnormals came there willingly; including Bigfoot who was dropped off near death and after Helen removed several bullets from him he refused to leave, so she'd put him to work on her staff.

Tegan had even seen a couple of the residents who roamed the halls including a lizard man and two faced guy, a humanoid abnormal who appears normal from the front if not a little manic. He has another face growing out the back of his head with its own personality that is in stark contrast to the happy-go-lucky of his more human side. Tegan thought she liked his angry sarcastic abnormal side the best.

Helen watched her stifle a yawn. "Tired?"

"Not really." She shrugged gently with her left shoulder.

"Well you need to rest regardless."

Will helped her into bed, or rather watched her get back into bed and took her prosthetic from her. Within ten minutes her breathing had slowed and she was out.

"Well, I guess my questions are going to have to wait." Helen turned and looked at Will. "You didn't slip anything into her fruit did you?"

"Me?" He shook his head a small grin pulling at his lips. "No, of course not."

"Did Kate?"

"You'd have to ask her." He swiped his hand through his hair. "But I don't think so."


	18. Chapter 18

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 18**

A couple hours later Helen looked up, from the DNA results Bigfoot had brought her, when she heard the bed jerk and Tegan gasp. She was relieved to see Tegan was awake and not having another seizure. "Bad dream?"

"You drugged my food." Tegan stared at her.

"No I didn't and neither did my staff, not that it is beneath them." She commented off-handedly. "Your body needed the rest."

Tegan stared at her for a moment before deciding she didn't feel groggy. "Sorry."

Helen couldn't even begin to imagine what Tegan had been through in her relatively short life that would make her so paranoid. Somehow she didn't think the Goa'uld were entirely responsible for making her so tough. When she looked into those eerie green eyes, she saw strength and wisdom that stretched far beyond her thirty-one years. She nodded silently and reached for Tegan's protective sleeve that was hanging on the IV pole. "I had washed it for you. I think it's dry."

"Thank you. Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Helen helped her put it back on as well as her prosthetic. She watched Tegan sit up and move to the side of the bed. "I want you to take some ibuprofen to help with the inflammation, and I think you should put the sling and swath back on while you're up."

"Fine." Tegan was glad at least so far the medications in this reality were the same as in hers. Of course as she swallowed the two Motrin she realized there was a possibility that just the names were the same.

"What?" Helen asked as she gently helped Tegan back into the sling.

"I was just wondering how many of the parallels between our worlds are actually the same? I mean it seems like there are a lot of similarities." She continued as Helen adjusted the swath around her and stepped back to admire her work. "In my world though, there isn't just an Old City anywhere and we don't have abnormals. And of course, in your world, I don't exist."

"Well, I'd like to think we have abnormals instead of the Goa'uld. And you may not exist on paper, but here you are."

"Here I am." She forced a smile that Helen couldn't help but feel sorry for her when she saw it, despite knowing she was trying to put on a brave face.

Helen was all too acquainted with loss; the joy of living one-hundred and fifty-nine years you out live most of your friends and lovers. But to go to work one day and to suddenly have everyone you know, everything you own and everything you are just disappear in the blink of an eye. That had to be even harder to deal with. "We'll do what we can to get you back home."

Tegan wasn't sure where the comment had come from. She refrained from telling Helen just how slim her chances of finding her home would be even if they had the controller for the mirror. Besides she wasn't going to just give up and she knew her team was out there looking for her right then. "I need to get out of here."

"If you'd like we can go to the courtyard gardens and I'll have lunch brought out."

"That sounds great." Tegan offered a more genuine smile.

"Good let me grab the wheelchair."

"Dr. Magnus, please." Tegan stood up. "I'm perfectly capable of walking."

"Your knee doesn't hurt?"

Tegan shifted her weight over to her left leg. "Not a bit."

She hadn't noticed any swelling when she helped Tegan dress that morning. "Alright."

Tegan watched her look back at the DNA results she laid on the table earlier. "My DNA?"

"Yes, and you're not an abnormal, but I'm still trying to figure out those strange metals in your blood." Helen held the door open and ushered her through with her arm inches from her bruised back.

"When a symbiote blends with a host it leaves behind a unique metal called naquadah. If the symbiote leaves willingly, in the case of the Tok'ra, you are left with trace amounts. If the symbiote dies and your body absorbs it, you are left with higher amounts. And I have both the naquadah from a Tok'ra and a Goa'uld symbiote who in my system. To the casual observer it's the same metal."

"But there are slight differences." Helen pushed the button for the ground floor in the elevator and turned to Tegan as the doors closed.

"Correct." Tegan smiled lightly. "You're more observant."

"I find I have to be in my line of work."

"I'm sure." Tegan stepped out of the elevator behind Helen and fell into pace beside her.

"So," Helen looked sideways at her as they progressed down the hallway. "What makes your eyes glow?"

"We don't really know, but it has something to do with the two strains of naquadah interacting with each other and it basically depletes my body of potassium as a result."

"Well that explains why the first bolus of potassium didn't bring your potassium level back into normal range." Helen opened the door and watched Tegan step out and look at the clear blue sky.

She inhaled too deeply while trying to take in the fresh air and started coughing.

"Are you ok?" Helen asked when the coughing subsided. She knew it had to be extremely uncomfortable with her fractured ribs.

"Just clearing my lungs."

"Yeah, I need to listen to them after lunch."

Tegan shook her head. "They're fine. I'm fine."


	19. Chapter 19

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 19**

After walking around the gardens they stopped and sat on a stone bench and Helen called Bigfoot on her radio to let him know where they were. Half an hour later he appeared with a picnic basket containing two ham sandwiches made on fresh Kaiser rolls, apples, bottled water and two bottles of ice cold coca-cola.

"I'm glad to see you remember how to eat." Helen commented as Tegan finished off the last of her coke.

"I'll have to thank Bigfoot when I see him again."

"Call him Biggie or Big Guy when you do."

"Thanks for the advice." She noticed Helen was staring at her prosthetic. "It's made from naquadah and almost got my CO and his 2IC court marshaled."

"How did it happen, if you don't mind my asking?"

"A Goa'uld." Tegan looked across the courtyard as visions of Hek'tu jumped into her head. "We, uh, we walked into a trap more or less and she was trying to get information from us. She had this giant tank of wicked acid in the center of the room with a metal shackle and chain on a pulley system running into it. When I wouldn't give her the information she wanted she pulled my arm into the vat of acid. It ate through my flesh immediately and as a result I lost my arm. The acid made its way into my blood stream and formed a sack in my brain. Emergency surgery had to be preformed by an ex-boyfriend, at the same time he implanted a microchip in my brain which allows me to control my arm. Another doctor replaced my humerus and cleaned up my arm at the same time in order to give me a fully functional arm, which wouldn't have been possible without the naquadah in my system. Major Carter helped fabricate my prosthesis without full government approval. Saved my life and my career. Really my entire team, our CMO and General Hammond did."

_So that explains the micro chip, _Helen noted. "They sound like a good group to have in your corner."

"As cliché as it sounds, they are the closest thing I've ever had to a real family and they won't stop looking for me despite the odds."

Helen nodded. "What are the odds?"

"I have a better chance of finding a winning lottery ticket in a fortune cookie." The knife in her chest twisted hard. She looked at Helen and forced yet another smile. "Or something like that."

"Don't give up on it." She didn't tell Tegan she currently had Henry trying to track down the control box to the mirror since it seemed an equally impossible task.

"'Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all."

Helen picked up where she left off. "'And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm. I've heard it in the chillest land and on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, it asked a crumb of me.'"

"You know it?"

"Of course; I knew Emily as well. We were pen pals; such a dear sweet lady."

"You were how old?"

"I was thirty-five when she died."

Tegan nodded.

"What?" Helen asked catching that far away look in her eyes.

"Nothing." She started to brush it off. "Just another quote; 'Hope is the worst of all evils, for it prolongs the torment of man.'"

"Friedrich Nitzsche."

"You knew him too?"

Helen nodded. "But I much prefer Emily's out look on hope."

"As do I." Tegan offered a small but genuine grin as she looked up at the darkening sky, the walls of the Sanctuary had kept the storm clouds from view earlier like living in a bubble. "I think we're going to get rain."

"I believe you are right. Are you ready to head in?"

Tegan nodded and reached for the basket but Helen beat her to it.

"I'm going to let you head down to the infirmary and I will be down shortly to listen to your lungs."

"I don't know too many people who let their prisoners roam free." She followed Helen inside.

She smiled thinly. "I told you, you are a guest."

Tegan nodded. "See you in a bit."

* * *

><p>"I see you found your way." Helen closed the door behind her.<p>

"It was pretty easy. Just don't ask me to navigate any of the upper levels."

"It's not that difficult. In fact when we're done here Bigfoot will show you to one of the guest rooms we've set up for you."

"Thank you."

"I will still be seeing you daily and I want to keep an eye on your wounds. I also expect you to continue eating three squares a day."

"Says the toast and tea woman."

"Are you always so sarcastic?" Helen asked casually.

"Fifty-fifty."

Helen couldn't help but think she would fit in perfectly there, but it was still too soon to make any future plans, at least not while there was still hope of returning her to her own dimension, or universe. Will had backed up her opinion that Tegan's story was true and not part of a psychotic break. Helen was certain the world or the universe itself would never cease to amaze her.

Helen pulled the stethoscope away from Tegan's back and pulled it free of her ears. "Your lung sounds are a little diminished in the right lower lobe and I'm hearing a faint wheeze in your upper left lobe. If it hasn't improved by tomorrow I want to get chest films."

"Fair enough." Tegan gave a small nod.

"One question before I let you go." Helen leaned her hip against the side of the bed so close to Tegan's thigh she could feel the heat of her body.

"Shoot."

"Can you control that thing with your eyes?"

"The glow?" Tegan smirked. "Yes and no." She blinked and her eyes glowed briefly. "I can make them glow if I concentrate on it really hard. But there are times when I'm really mad, or the pain is so intense that it just happens and I have no control over it."

"Well let's try and keep it to a minimum, at least until I can get more potassium in stock."

"You're out?"

"I had a run on it last week because of one of the abnormals. But I should be getting a shipment in, in another day or two."

"Well I think my pain levels are under control and short of thinking you were a Goa'uld earlier," Tegan looked at the greenish yellow bruise wrapped around Helen's right wrist. "It usually takes a bit to make me that angry."

"Well, don't let my staff try and get you to do it as a party trick."

"They wouldn't." Tegan smirked as she looked at Biggie who was standing in the doorway waiting for her.

"You'd be surprised." Helen stepped back. "For now I would like you to eat dinner with us, the other residents don't have the best table manners. So I shall see you at six."

"Six o'clock, kitchen slash dinning room, got it."

* * *

><p>Chapter End Notes:<p>

*"'Hope' is the thing with feathers" is by Emily Dickenson in case the reference wasn't completely clear.


	20. Chapter 20

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 20**

When she got to the room where she would be staying until whenever things changed, she tried to think positively, the first thing she saw were her BDU bottoms washed and neatly folded on the foot of the bed. Her Alice vest was on top of them and her boots sat on the floor in front of them. On the top of the stack were her dog tags and the laminated picture of Cassie with the lines from Dylan Thomas she'd written and left on her pillow. A month ago Janet had found the yellow paper in one of her pockets and she laminated it onto the back of one of Cassandra's school pictures.

"We had to cut your t-shirt and your bra off you." Biggie stood in the doorway watching her as she reached for the picture.

_We?_ Tegan thought. So the Big Guy had helped Helen when she was first taken to the infirmary. She was surprised that it didn't bother her in the least. She turned to him as she picked up the picture. "No problem, and uh – thanks."

He grunted and pointed his chin to the picture in her hand. "Is she yours?"

Tegan looked at the picture with Cassie's giant smile. It hit her that this was all she had to remind her of home. "It's complicated."

Her expression was all he needed to confirm her bond with the girl in the picture. "I understand."

She flipped the picture over and silently read the words: "Do not go gentle into that good night." And when she looked up again, Biggie was gone.

* * *

><p>At six-ten there was a knock on the door.<p>

"Yeah?"

"Magnus sent me to see if you got lost." Kate stepped in to find Tegan lying on the bed with untied combat boots on her feet.

Tegan glanced at the clock. "I'm not hungry."

"She said if I found you in your room, you might say that and I'm supposed to remind you about three squares a day."

"House rule?"

"I think she's about to make it one. She doesn't like when someone isn't eating, abnormal or human."

"Ah, so she's not biased."

"Magnus? No way. But she does get pissy when people don't listen to her."

"In other words I'd better follow you to the dinning room."

"Exactly, see now you're catching on." Kate smiled slyly.

"Ah, there you are." Helen smirked when Tegan came in behind Kate. "Did you get lost?"

"Yeah." Kate glanced back giving Tegan a wink. "I found her though so everything's cool."

"Henry checked the footage Kate, she wasn't wandering the halls." Helen wasn't going to let Kate get away with that one.

Kate threw her hands in the air. "I tried."

Tegan sat down to the right of Helen when she pointed to the chair and raised her eyebrows.

"You needn't stay in your room all day. You're free to roam the halls and the courtyard. I only ask that you don't leave the Sanctuary until I release you medically and we can get you some form of ID. We don't want the cops picking you up and Will having to tell them you're an escaped mental patient."

Tegan nodded and reached for the glass of water in front of her.

After dinner Will walked into the hall with Tegan. "If you want to talk, I'm available."

"I think I'm good."

"You ate two bites tonight."

She glanced sideways at him.

"Pushing food around your plate doesn't constitute eating. And don't think you fooled Magnus either."

"I wasn't trying to fool anyone." Tegan stopped and turned to face him. "I wasn't hungry."

"I'm just saying."

Tegan nodded and pressed the button for the elevator.


	21. Chapter 21

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 21**

"Nikola, what are you doing?" The next morning, Helen stopped in the doorway to her office before coming all the way in.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He looked up and smiled as he putted the golf ball on the floor into a cup. "I'm playing golf."

"I believe that is putt-putt." Will stepped around Helen.

"Ah, the ever observant protégé." He swung the club up on his shoulder. "Staff meeting?"

Biggie walked in, took one look at Nikola and grunted twice in succession.

"Yes."

"Mind if I stay?" He turned his head slightly keeping his eyes locked on Helen. "If you say no, I'll just listen from the hall."

Helen sighed. "At least you're honest."

"Is that a yes?"

"Morning." Kate walked in and dropped onto the couch. "What's vamp guy doing here?"

"He's staying for the meeting." Helen grabbed a pen from her desk.

"Hey." Henry walked in a few seconds later and sat beside Kate in the only seat still open. "He's staying?"

"Get with the program 'dude'." Nikola rolled his eyes at Henry.

"Let's get started, shall we?" Helen looked around the room. "Is there anything I need to know?" When no one spoke she continued. "How did the night feedings go Henry?"

"Fine."

"Ok, just to let you know, I got the DNA results back on our Tegan Kiser and she is not an abnormal."

"The glowy eyes?" Henry wiggled his fingers in front of his face.

"A side effect of having two symbiotes die in her body. They left behind some strange metal in her system and that's what I know about that."

"Can she control it?" Will asked.

"She can make it happen, but if she is in extreme pain or angry she can't stop it from happening."

"What are these symbiote things?" Kate slipped her shoes off and tucked her feet under her while Helen explained what she knew about the Goa'uld and Tok'ra, as well as how Tegan lost her arm.

"I'm sure we'll learn more from her as time passes."

"What's the possibility one of those Goa'uld things could come through the mirror?" Will twirled his pen through his fingers and glanced around the room.

"I've had that mirror for over fifty years and no one has ever come through it until now."

"You're taking about the mirror Vladimir gave you." The light bulb finally flicked on above Tesla's head.

Helen's eyes narrowed on him as Henry spoke ignoring Nikola. "So in other words it's a very real possibility?"

"It is." Helen turned her head to look at Henry, her eyes slowly following. "But it's also her only chance of ever returning home."

"How would we know if one of these Goa'uld came through?" Will asked.

"There's a possibility we wouldn't know, not right away anyway. She said they have a different tone to their voice then a normal human. And of course their eyes sometimes glow."

"And we're sure she isn't one?" Kate shifted.

"Her scan was clear of any foreign bodies in or around her brain stem."

"Just checking."

"So we should move the mirror to a secure location and set up a security net, since I take it destroying it isn't currently an option?" Henry threw his thoughts out there.

"No it's not." Helen shook her head. "Not as long as there is any chance she can get home. Why don't you talk to her, Henry and see what you can find out regarding the best way to keep the Goa'uld contained should they come through the mirror."

"Sure thing boss."

Helen looked around the room, the crease in her forehead growing deeper as she looked behind her. "Where did Nikola go?"

"He was –" Will looked toward the door that had been closed and now stood slightly ajar.

Before Helen could get to her feet they heard Nikola scream with great effort followed by a bang and a crash and then more banging and crashing.

"Your room." Bigfoot jumped to his feet.


	22. Chapter 22

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 22**

"Hey Daniel?"

"Yeah Jack?"

"You remember that half naked woman with the long dark hair?"

"Why?" Daniel glanced at Sam.

"Do you think you could find that channel again?"

"She almost saw us Jack."

"Yeah I know, but humor me. I've got a feeling."

"It had better not be in your pants O'Neill." Teal'c stood beside him and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Real funny big guy." Jack shook his head as Sam stepped to the other side of him.

Daniel sat on the floor in front of them and started turning the back dial on the remote.

"Wait isn't that it?"

"Yeah, but that's not her." Daniel pointed out as the man on the other side turned and right in front of their eyes his teeth morphed into razor sharp fangs, his eyes went completely black and his nails turned into four inch black sharpened talons.

As he swung the golf club Sam yelled, "Change it! Change it!"

"That was close." Daniel straightened his glasses.

"What the hell was that?" Jack asked.

"A vampire?"

"Vampires don't exist Carter." He looked at Daniel. "Do they?"

"Not on our world."

"Go back." Jack waved his hand toward the mirror.

Daniel fumbled with the control. "It's not there."

"Are you sure you went the right way?" Jack looked down at him.

"Positive."

"He must have destroyed it." Sam looked at Jack and hoped he had just wanted to ogle the woman again and not that there was any chance that that was the world Tegan ended up on.

* * *

><p>"Nikola!" Helen stepped in the doorway to her closet when she saw Nikola standing there completely vamped out with the golf club slung over his shoulder and shards of glass at his feet like confetti from a ticker tape parade. "What have you done?"<p>

"Only what needed to be done and you were afraid to do." He gave her his patented smug look.

Will stood behind her and ran his hand through his hair with the expression of someone who couldn't decide whether they needed to burp or vomit.

"Oh man, he didn't?" Henry looked from the broken mirror to Bigfoot.

Before Kate could comment Helen turned. "Out all of you, except you." She spun back pouncing on Nikola like a mountain lion on a rabbit. "How did you get in my room?"

He held up his index finger and flicked his nail before morphing back into his human form. He rotated his neck on its axis until it popped loudly. "Ah, that's better."

"What the hell were you thinking?" When he didn't answer she flapped her arms at her side once while looking at the broken glass she was standing on. "You destroyed her only chance of returning home."

"Who, little Ms. Sunshine? She'll get over it." He showed no remorse for his actions. "Besides, I was protecting you Helen."

"I don't need you to protect me Nikola. I…" She sighed. "Just go, get out of here. I don't want to deal with you right now."

"Helen." He dipped his chin and gave her his best sad puppy look.

"Nikola, go." She stood looking at the mess for several minutes before shaking her head and walking out.

Kate was staring at the floor, Will had his head cradled in his hands and his elbows resting on his knees, Henry sat staring blankly at the wall, and Biggie stood up when Helen walked back into her office. "I'll go clean up."

"Leave it, at least until after I talk to her." Helen let her eyes wander over the group. They looked like they were mourning the loss of a dear friend.

Will lifted his head and looked at Helen. "What are you going to tell her?'

"The truth."

"Do you want me in here when you do?"

"No, but stay close."

"What do you need us to do?" Kate looked at Henry who was now watching Helen.

"Just be sensitive to what she is going through. Try and be as supportive and as welcoming as you can be." She sighed. It was days like this one when she hated being the head of the Sanctuary.

"No problem." Henry reassured her they would.

"Do you want me to get her for you?" Will asked.

"No, I need a few minutes. I'll find her when I'm ready."

"Alright." Will stood up and looked at the others before motioning for them to come with him. "We'll leave you to it then. I should be in my office most of the day."

"Thanks Will."


	23. Chapter 23

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 23**

Forty-five minutes had passed and Helen still didn't know the best way to approach it. She was sitting behind her desk when she saw the unmistakable shock of red hair walk past. She got up and moved quickly across the room, she popped her head out of the doorway. "Tegan, do you have a minute?"

Tegan turned to see Helen leaning forward, one hand supporting her against the door frame. "I've got all day. What's up?"

Helen offered a small sad smile. "We need to talk."

Tegan licked her lower lip. "It's never a good thing when it's prefaced with 'we need to talk.'"

Helen turned sideways so Tegan could enter. Once she made it past the threshold Helen closed the door and held her arm out toward the couch. "Have a seat."

That was the second clue that whatever Helen wanted wasn't good. Tegan walked around the edge of the couch and sat down. "I wanted to ask you if it would be possible for me to look at the mirror to see if the controls might be built into it. It's a long shot, but I've got nothing to lose."

Helen sat on the couch opposite her and turned so she could look at her. She folded her hands in her lap and took a deep breath. "That's what I need to talk to you about."

She watched the greens in Tegan's eyes shift as she waited for her to continue.

"The mirror is;" She inhaled and breathed out, "it was broken this morning."

"What?" Surely she was mistaken.

"I'm sorry." Helen watched as the realization of it set in.

"How?" Tegan swallowed around the constricting lump in her throat.

"Nikola thought the threat was too great and took a golf club to it."

Tegan closed her eyes and flexed the muscle across her jaw as she clenched her teeth. When she opened her eyes Helen saw the white light engulfing her irises before it flickered and died.

"Tegan?"

She cleared her throat and turned dark eyes to Helen, the swirls of lime and chartreuse were completely clouded. Had Helen not had so many harrowing experiences in her life she would have been afraid. As it was she felt eerily uneasy.

"And you allowed it?" Her voice was dead even, devoid of any emotion.

"No, I was in here talking with Henry about getting together with you to discuss the best security measures to take with the mirror. My bedroom door was locked, but when Nikola gets an idea in his head not much stands in his way."

Tegan nodded and pushed herself to her feet using her biomechanical arm.

"Tegan?"

She looked at Helen who was now standing beside her. "Just leave me alone, please."

Helen nodded and watched her walk out the door and down the hall. After a minute she headed out in the same direction.

Tegan took the stairs and when she rounded the corner on her way back to her room she saw him, Nikola, standing there waiting for the elevator.

Henry and Bigfoot spotted the potential interaction before she ever turned the corner and both sprinted out of the security hub and up the stairs.

Nikola turned when he heard the tearing of Velcro. A small smile tugged at his lips even as he saw the swath hit the floor and Tegan pulling the sling over her head, discarding it in her wake. He knew she was currently feeling no pain. "Little Ms. Sunshine, what a pleasant surprise."

When she was within striking distance her eyes were aflame with white light and she pushed him back with her left arm. His smirking grin grew.

"My, my, look who wants to pick a fight." He took a step backwards his back flattening against the wall as her left hand came up and rubber tipped metal fingers wrapped around his neck. She pushed him up the wall lifting his weight until he was standing on his tiptoes.

She leaned in and growled. "I ought to kill you."

"Give it your best shot." He jerked his head slightly and his eyes went completely black as he opened his mouth revealing the lines of sharp teeth.

Tegan didn't even blink as her hand tightened around his neck.

"You picked the wrong vampire to mess with." He hissed as the elevator doors behind Tegan opened.

Helen threw her hand up on the door to keep it from closing and watched as Nikola first grabbed Tegan's injured shoulder and squeezed, then with his free hand punched her on the left side of her rib cage. "Nikola!"

Henry and Bigfoot rounded the corner just in time to see Tegan crumple onto the floor like a discarded stuffed animal.

Helen dropped to her side, crouching down next to her and feeling for her pulse.

"I didn't kill her." Nikola waved his black nails in the air as Helen looked up at him.

"What were you thinking?"

"Me? She started it."

"I'm pretty sure you started it when you broke the mirror, dude." Henry stood there panting lightly.

"Who asked you wolf-boy?" Nikola grunted with disgust.

Helen looked down as she heard a guttural sound escape Tegan's lips. Her eyes were open and aglow. "Tegan calm down. Remember what I told you yesterday?"

Helen's potassium shipment was the furthest thing from Tegan's mind as she spotted Nikola. She pushed Helen's worried hands away from her and swung her leg around sweeping Nikola's feet out from under him effectively knocking him on his back.

"As sure as the sun rises in the east, I'm going to kill her." He proclaimed as he sat back up.

"Enough!" Helen yelled as Kate and Will approached.

"Looks like we missed the action." Kate mumbled.

"Nikola I want you gone."

"Helen, we were just having a little fun." He pressed his lips together and stuck out his bottom lip.

"Out of the Sanctuary, now. I'll deal with you later."

"Promises, promises." He shook his head as Bigfoot reached under his arms and pulled him to his feet.

"You heard her."

Nikola brushed his suit off and stepped onto the elevator. "You haven't seen the last of me Sunshine."

Helen turned back to Tegan as the elevator doors slid shut. She was still staring at the elevator, her eyes bright with light. Her respirations were deliberate and slightly labored.

"Calm down." Helen repeated.

Tegan closed her eyes.

"Tegan." Helen put her hand on her left shoulder. "Look at me."

When she opened her eyes her irises were still dark but the light no longer burned in them.

Helen watched her for a minute before shifting her weight off the balls of her feet so her heels were back on the floor. "I know you're mad at Nikola, but he is still an old friend of mine; who is very difficult to kill."

"I don't want to kill him." Tegan's nostrils flared as pain tore through her shoulder and chest, but her anger hid it well. "I just want to hurt him a whole lot."

"Not in my house." Helen glanced at Henry who was doing his best not to smile but failing miserably. "Stop that, and bring me her sling and swath."

"Please?" Henry's grin faded as Helen gave him a look of warning. A few seconds later her had retrieved the requested items from the floor and handed them to Helen.

Helen stood and offered Tegan a hand up. "Let's get this back on you. Shall we?"

Tegan shook her head no and hopped onto her feet gritting her teeth as she did so. Then she turned and headed toward her room.

"Tegan?" Will called after her.

"Let her go Will." Helen stopped him from pursuing her. "I'll check in on her in about twenty minutes when hopefully cooler heads will prevail."


	24. Chapter 24

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 24**

Tegan was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling when she chose to ignore the knock on the door. After a few seconds Helen's muffled voice came from the other side. "I'm coming in."

Helen waited another couple seconds before opening the door.

Tegan glanced at her from the bed but quickly averted her eyes.

"I need to do some blood work." She decided to skip the small talk since it was obvious Tegan wasn't up for conversation.

Tegan carefully straightened her arm while biting her lower lip to keep from grimacing as the muscles in her shoulder and chest protested the movement.

Helen walked around the foot of the bed and sat the sling and swath she was carrying next to Tegan's shoulder before pulling out a tourniquet, alcohol prep, and syringe.

Tegan gasped lightly as Helen sat on the edge of the bed near her hip causing her weight to shift.

"Sorry." Helen looked at her for a second.

Tegan's eyes were focused on her arm as she waited for Helen to collect her blood sample.

Helen tied the tourniquet around Tegan's upper arm being careful not to move it. She then took the alcohol prep and swiped over her antecubital vein. "You're going to feel a stick."

Tegan watched Helen deftly slide the needle into her vein and pull back on the syringe. Once it was full Helen pulled the needle out and recapped it. The joys of being Helen Magnus, she didn't worry about OSHA regulations and already knew that Tegan's blood was free from any blood borne pathogens. Plus she hadn't had a needle stick in the last one-hundred years or more.

She held pressure over the puncture site and gazed at the shifting hues in those green eyes that were doing their best not to look back at her.

"I know you don't want to talk right now, but know that when you do Will is available and my door is always open unless I'm in a meeting." She checked the site to see it was no longer bleeding before she stood up and returned to the lab to analyze Tegan's blood.

An hour later there was another knock at the door, a minute later it opened and in walked Bigfoot with a tray. He put it on the nightstand and turned to Tegan who had turned her head way from him. "You need to eat."

"He's right." Helen stepped through the open doorway.

Biggie turned and grunted.

"I've got it from here." Helen nodded her thanks to him as he stepped past her.

She walked up to the side of the bed and rattled the two pills she was holding in a plastic medicine cup. "I need you to take these. Your potassium is low and while I'd much rather infuse you, this is the best I can do at the moment."

Tegan took the small cup and studied the pills.

"I promise you it's just potassium." Helen picked up the water glass off her lunch tray and handed it to her.

Tegan tossed back both pills and drained half the glass before handing it back to Helen.

"You should really eat to help keep the potassium from tearing up your stomach." She watched as Tegan turned her head away effectively shutting her out.

Will brought dinner in when Tegan didn't show up in the dinning room. He held out another dose of potassium. "Dr. Magnus wants you to take these, and I'm not allowed to leave until you do."

Tegan thought about flashing her eyes at him. He seemed easy enough to scare, though she could be wrong. Instead she settled on a growl as she took the pills from his outstretched hand and downed them.

Will walked into Helen's office later that evening to find her sitting on the couch deep in thought. "She didn't eat lunch."

Helen looked up and nodded as he stepped around the couch to join her.

"You're not surprised."

"No and neither were you." She pointed out.

"True." He licked his lips.

"I'm hoping all she needs is time."

"She just lost everything, and I do mean everything." Will reminded her.

"I am very aware of that fact Will."

"I know, I'm just…" He shook his head. "Still trying to wrap my brain around it." He paused and looked at the empty fireplace for a minute then let his eyes fall back on Helen. "What are you going to do?"

"Whatever I can to make the situation better."

"Well, let me know what I can do to help."

"I appreciate it William." She smiled lightly at him.

"I think I'm going to try and get some sleep. You should do the same."


	25. Chapter 25

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 25**

It had been three days and Helen had been giving Tegan the space she needed but when she didn't show up for dinner again she decided it was time to drag her out of bed, get her showered and in some clean clothes at the very least. She also wanted to listen to her lungs, check her wounds, and remove the sutures that had been in for just over six days now.

Helen knocked on the closed door and waited before announcing she was coming in. When she opened the door the bed was empty and completely made up. Her untouched dinner tray still sat on the night table where Kate had left it along with the single potassium pill she was supposed to take.

She checked the residents' bathroom on that floor but found it was empty except for the lingering humidity of a recent shower. Helen turned to see two faced guy coming down the hall. "Have you seen Tegan?"

"The redhead?"

"Yes."

"No, haven't seen her in days." He turned and his other face said, "She's a hot one, I'd remember her."

"Behave yourself." Helen gave him a disapproving look as she pulled out her radio. "Henry."

"Yeah boss?" His voice came out the speaker.

"Have you seen Dr. Kiser wandering the halls?"

"She's not in her room?"

"Would I be asking if she were?"

"Of course not, sorry. Give me a second." After a few seconds the radio clicked. "No, she's not on any of the cameras. But she hasn't left because the perimeter security hasn't been breached."

"Unless she managed to get out when Kate and Will left." She started toward the elevator as she decided to check her favorite place.

"Nope, just checked the footage, she hasn't been near the garage since dinner time."

"Keep an eye out for her, please."

"Sure thing."

"Thank you Henry." She pushed the button for the top floor.

"Found her." Henry's voice crackled in her hand as she stepped out of the elevator. "She went to the roof about twenty minutes ago. Oh hey, there you are."

She turned at smiled at the security camera as he spoke into the radio. "Heading there now, thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Helen stepped out onto the roof of the Sanctuary an immediately spotted Tegan sitting on her favorite spot, the very last merlon to the far left of the parapet. She was wearing her green BDUs, combat boots, and a long sleeve black t-shirt with 'bite me' printed in a white typewriter font on the chest, obviously Kate's choice. Helen was sure the t-shirt couldn't have been easy to put on with her shoulder hurting.

"I thought I might find you up here. This is my favorite spot in the entire Sanctuary."  
>Tegan continued to stare out at the skyline lit against the black sky.<p>

"You know…" Helen stepped up as close as she could without stepping up on the parapet. "That's probably not the best place for an epileptic, especially a non-medicated one."

"I'm not epileptic." Tegan shifted pulling up one foot from where it dangled over the side and rested it on the opposite knee.

Helen noticed her boots weren't tied and while she wasn't wearing the sling she was still keeping her arm supported against her body. She nodded toward the metal tags hanging around her neck. "I guess that's why it's not on your dog tags."

"If I were epileptic I couldn't serve in the military and I certainly couldn't fly fighter jets."

"You're a pilot too?"

"I was a pilot." She watched a black van pull up to the Sanctuary gates below and Will reach out the window to input his code. "But now, now I'm nothing. In this world I don't exist."

"Really? Because I don't normally carry on conversations figments of my imagination."

Tegan turned her head and looked at Helen, really looked at her for the first time since the Nikola incident. "You know what I mean."

"I understand that you are dealing with a loss far greater than anyone can completely comprehend, but sitting around feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to make it any better." Helen wasn't one to mince words and she didn't care if her statement stung. It was what Tegan needed to hear, of that she was certain.

"I'm not feeling sorry for myself." Tegan looked over the edge of the turrets as a bitter cold breeze blew her bangs into her eyes.

"What are you going to do?"

Tegan sighed lightly. "I haven't thought that far ahead."

Helen let the silence between them expand.

A gust of wind blasted them in the face and Tegan started coughing. When her hacking subsided Helen spoke. "I think there's a storm brewing, we should go in."

Tegan looked up as the sky lit up as if on cue. She nodded as Helen stepped back. It took a minute for her to maneuver off the merlon using only one arm.

As Helen pulled the door closed behind them a crack of thunder split the sky and it started pouring.

Once they were in the elevator Helen took in the pale, thin form. She looked tired. Her eyes were blood shot from not sleeping. She coughed and her face grimaced in pain briefly before she slipped her mask back in place. Helen pressed the button for the infirmary level. "I want to check you over and get those sutures out."

Tegan nodded, she would be glad to wash her hair since the shower she'd taken earlier left her feeling only partially clean thanks to her still dirty hair.

"You didn't take your potassium tonight." Helen commented as they stepped out of the elevator.

"Don't need it."

"And you know this how?"

"Because I'm not sick." Tegan responded.

"I'd like to check you potassium levels and make that determination myself."

"Fine."

"Have a seat."

Tegan climbed on to the side of a stretcher while Helen pulled on her lab coat.

She looked at Tegan's back before listening to her lungs. The bruising was beginning to run down her back and fade some, but it was still tender to touch. When she was done Helen slipped the stethoscope back in her lab coat pocket. "The red mark on your chest is completely gone."

"Yeah, I know."

"I want to get chest films. I'm hearing some rales bilaterally which is indicative of –"

"Pneumonia," Tegan interrupted.

"Right." Helen nodded. She wasn't used to treating another medical doctor.

After taking x-rays of Tegan's lungs and running lab work Helen came back into the room with a suture removal kit. She held a thermometer in front of her mouth.

"What's that for?"

"It's a thermometer." Helen looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "I want to check your temperature."

"I know what it is." Tegan clarified. "Why?"

Helen slipped it into her mouth. "Because you have some fluid in your lower lobes and I want to see if you're running an elevated temp."

"I don't have a fever." Tegan talked around the thermometer as Helen parted her hair and started removing sutures.

"You're going to have a nice scar." Helen commented as she finished up. "It was a rather jagged cut."

Tegan removed the thermometer from her mouth. "Just another one to add to my collection."

Helen took the thermometer from between biomechanical fingers. "98.2"

"Told you. It's just from not breathing deep enough to keep them clear."

"It could easily turn into an infection. I want to keep an eye on it." She looked at Tegan's shoulder. "How's it feeling?"

"Not too bad." Tegan moved it gingerly. "I've got full range of motion."

"That's good. And the knee?"

"Perfectly fine."

"You need to eat."

"I will, tomorrow."

"No, now. We're going to the kitchen and finding something to eat right now. Your CO2 level is 15."

"It's been lower."

"Don't make me threaten you." Helen gave her a serious look of warning.

Tegan threw her hand in the air. "And my potassium level?"

"3.5 low side of normal."

"But still normal."

"Yes, but for how long?"

Tegan shrugged with her brow.


	26. Chapter 26

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 26**

"Seizures?" Helen sat the plate of reheated spaghetti in front of Tegan.

"Hypernatremia secondary to hypokalemia."

"So indirectly related to the low potassium levels." Helen pursed her lips. "Interesting."

"If you say so." Tegan took a bite of the spaghetti hoping she wouldn't find a Bigfoot hair in it.

"Have you slept at all since I released you from the infirmary?"

"Yeah." Tegan answered without looking up. It wasn't a lie. She'd slept for a couple hours even if they weren't consecutive. She chewed another bite of pasta and meat sauce as she realized some things would never change. She had never flat out lied to anyone she worked with. She looked at Helen who was watching her with curiosity and wondered why she couldn't just flat out lie to her.

"Can I give you something to help you sleep better?"

"You can, but I won't take it."

"I appreciate your honesty." Helen's voice was sincere. She wasn't fishing for a confession. "So, an Air Force fighter pilot and a doctor; what other secrets are you hiding?"

Tegan shook her head.

"What kind of doctor?"

"Field, infirmary, and hospital when needed, medical examiner more times then I care to count. I did the lecture circuit until about three and a half years ago when I transferred to Stargate command. I've done some research."

"What kind of research?"

"Virology, bacteriology, botany, animal necropsies."

"Animal necropsies, really?"

Tegan grinned lightly. "I was bored in school so I did multiple degrees and ended up getting a license in veterinary medicine too."

"Wow, impressive." Helen wasn't sure she'd ever met anyone quite so ambitious.

Tegan blushed and pushed her half empty plate back.

Helen frowned lightly.

Tegan had seen a similar frown on Janet's face over the same thing too many times to keep track of. She ached to see that face again.

Helen saw the veil of sadness flicker in Tegan's eyes and decided not to push the issue for the night. She raised her eyebrow and reached for the plate. "Done?"

"I can get it."

"I've got it, you need to rest." Helen gave her a pointed look. "I shall see you tomorrow, Dr. Kiser."

Tegan wanted to tell her she wasn't a doctor,_ not here anyway._


	27. Chapter 27

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 27**

"Hey someone's frying bacon." Kate followed Henry into the kitchen where Tegan was standing at the stove.

"And?" Henry looked around her shoulder. "Hey dude, are those pancakes?"

"We don't have any pancake mix." Will grumbled as he stepped past Kate and reached for the coffee pot.

"Dude." Henry pointed to the batter in a bowl. "She made it from scratch."

Tegan flipped a fluffy plate sized pancake out and handed the plate to Henry. "Eat it while it's hot."

"You don't have to tell me twice. Thanks." He grabbed the maple syrup and some silverware before retreating to the table where there was a heaping platter of bacon sitting in the center.

"Kate?" Tegan tossed the pancake she was working on in the air and caught it in the pan on the flip side. "You want the next one?"

"Do I?" She grinned. "I thought you would never ask."

Bigfoot walked in and grunted. "I was going to make smoked cod."

"Yes." Will put his hands together in a mock prayer of thanks. "You're a saint you know that?"

Tegan flipped Kate's pancake onto her plate and poured the batter for Will's. "Yours is next Dr. Zimmerman."

"It's Will, please. You're among friends."

Helen walked in. "What's all this?"

"She's making pancakes." Bigfoot stepped up behind her. "I'm next."

"As soon as I finish Will's." She flipped the current one on to a plate and handed it to Will. "Dr. Magnus, tea? Pancakes?"

"They're from scratch." Henry spoke around a mouthful.

"Best I've ever had." Will added.

Helen nodded. "If you don't mind fixing one more, it smells lovely."

"The water's already hot." She lifted her chin to the kettle on the back burner just as it started to whistle.

Helen reached past her, her elbow grazing her chest as she did so. Helen looked down and then raised her eyes to Tegan's lips where they lingered a second longer then they should have. She cleared her throat trying to figure out why her eyes weren't listening to her brain which told them to lift to meet Tegan's. Instead they fell back to where her elbow had just brushed her breast. "Sorry."

"What?" Tegan looked at Helen as she straightened bringing the kettle with her.

"I bumped you."

"You did?" A small grin tugged at the corners of her mouth for the briefest moment. "Big Guy I need your plate."

Helen stepped out of the way as he grunted.

"Thanks."

"Yup." Tegan went to work on Helen's pancake while Helen fixed her tea.

"I don't think I've ever heard them so quiet."

"Too good to talk." Henry responded from the adjacent room.

Helen watched her expertly flip the large disk of half cooked batter in the air and catch it. She raised an impressed eyebrow.

"Dr. Magnus." Tegan held her plate out. "They've got the syrup on the table. Eat it before it gets cold."

"Do you want another one?" Tegan asked when Henry came back into the kitchen and stood there staring at her.

"Nope. Waiting for you to finish so I can clean up." He smiled. "Those were awesome pancakes."

She blushed lightly. "I can clean up. Don't you have a staff meeting?"

"It won't start until Magnus arrives." He watched her plate her pancake. "Go eat, I'll clean up."

"Thank you."

"No," His smile grew. "Thank you."

Tegan sat down in the empty seat next to Will and across from Helen. She took a bite and then glanced at Helen who was already half way done with hers.

"You didn't have to do this." Helen indicated her plate with her fork.

Tegan smiled lightly. "I was up and you all have to eat too."

"It's really good."

"She made them from scratch." Kate picked up hers and Biggie's plates.

"It doesn't take much to impress you does it?" Tegan looked at Kate.

"They were just really good." Kate shrugged.

"Besides we're used to cold breakfasts." Will looked in his empty mug.

"Well don't get used to this." Helen warned. "While we all appreciate it, it isn't necessary. But thank you."

"I did it because I wanted to." She watched Helen take her last bite.

"Thank you. It was delicious." Helen watched Tegan push the second half of hers away. "If you could stop by my office around ten I'd appreciate it."

"Sure." Tegan nodded as Helen stood.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure she's even a doctor?" Henry asked in their staff meeting. He looked at Will. "I mean she could be suffering delusions of grandeur, right?"<p>

"I don't think so." Will shook his head. "She doesn't give off that vibe."

"Dr. Zimmerman's right." Helen agreed. "Getting what information I've been able to glean from her has been like sitting in a tub full of hungry leaches and not letting a single on latch on to you."

"Ewww." Kate scrunched her nose up at the mental image.

"Besides I'm not saying her credentials will be fake. She will still have to pass the licensing boards."

"And after that?" Will asked.

"What she does after that is completely up to her."

"I think what he meant was will you be offering her a position on staff?" Henry clarified.

"I haven't given it any thought." Her lips said one thing but the gleam in her eye said another.

"You could always hire her on as a cook." Henry rubbed his still full stomach.

Helen just shook her head.


	28. Chapter 28

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 28**

"You wanted to see me?" Tegan paused in the open doorway as Helen looked up from behind her desk.

"Yes, come in and have a seat." She waited until Tegan had taken the proffered chair across from her desk. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Tegan almost expected her to pull out a stethoscope.

"Did you sleep last night?" She watched Tegan glance away and could tell she was trying to formulate the answer she thought she wanted to hear.

Tegan sighed and shook her head. "Not really."

"My offer stands on giving you something to help you sleep. At least until you can get back on and even keel."

"Insomnia isn't exactly a new thing for me." Tegan looked at Helen who nodded. "And I've never needed much sleep."

Helen could relate. "Still if you need something…"

"I'll let you know."

"Please do." She glanced down at the stack of papers in front of her. "I know that you don't know yet what you're going to do." She looked back up to try and read Tegan's expression. "And there's no rush, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like. I will be working over the coming week to get you proper documentation, but in the meantime I was hoping you could fill in some of the blanks. I know it's a lot of information, but I did draw up a questionnaire in addition to my usual medical inquiry."

"Sure." Tegan reached forward as Helen picked up the large stack of papers.

"No rush, just when you have the time." Helen glanced down as she looked for a pen.

Tegan immediately started on the paperwork Helen had given her. It helped keep her mind off other things, like the fact her team was probably wasting their time trying to find her; or how Janet and Cassie were dealing with the news. She tried not to think about why she was documenting her health history, date and city of birth, her education with various degrees, licenses and diplomas.

She dropped the pen and checked her watch when her hand cramped up on her. It was five o'clock and she'd worked straight through lunch. She rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. The sun was starting to dip behind the tall buildings of New City's skyline.

She stood up and stretched before heading to the kitchen. No one was there and she pulled the refrigerator door open. She spotted the spiral slice ham she'd seen in there that morning. She rummaged through the cabinets until she found a roasting pan and pulled it out.

"Oh hey." Henry walked in on her as she was reading the ham's heating instructions on the back of the package. "I was just coming to start dinner."

She glanced up at him catching his blue eyes roving her body. If she had to guess he was in his mid to upper thirties, and he was a rather nice looking guy even when he didn't shave. There was something about him though, aside from his penchant for technology, something she just couldn't quite put her finger on.

"There's not a lot to choose from." Tegan raised the ham in her hand.

"Oh." He pointed behind him. "You haven't seen the pantry. Magnus keeps it pretty well stocked."

Tegan lifted her eyebrows.

"It's right across the hall. Come on, I'll show you."

She sat the ham on the counter and followed him across the hall into a large room housing two commercial walk in refrigerators and a walk in freezer along with wall to wall shelves of cans, fresh fruits, vegetables, different grains, sugar, herbs and spices. Some of the spices Tegan had never heard of and it was clear they hadn't been bought in a supermarket.

Henry watched her as she took it all in and thought she reminded him of a kid on Christmas morning.

"Pantry? She could run a grocery out of here."

"Yeah. So what should I fix to go with the ham?"

She glanced at him. "I'll get dinner, I'm sure you have much more important things to do."

"Not really, I need a break."

"If Magnus said something about not wanting me to cook, just say so."

"She didn't. I just don't want to shirk my responsibilities on you."

"I don't mind." She assured him.

"Then why don't we work on dinner together."

"Great."

"I'll cook the ham." He grinned knowing it was the easiest thing to do.

"Henry!" Helen crossed her arms in front of her when she saw him sitting at the dinning room table hunched over his laptop while Tegan slaved away in the kitchen.

"Yeah boss?" He looked up with a sheepish grin.

Helen flicked her eyes toward the kitchen.

"I'm cooking the ham." Henry spoke at the same time Tegan did.

"He's cooking the ham." Tegan turned and looked at Helen. "Besides I needed a break from your questionnaire, it puts the yellow pages listing to shame. I was getting writer's cramp."

Helen gave her an apologetic look.

"And I enjoy cooking. It helps me feel less like a mooch."

"You aren't mooching. You are my guest." Helen reminded her as she wondered just how thick this woman's skull was.

"Admit it, you're just afraid I'll try and poison you."

"The thought had crossed my mind." Helen didn't lie.

"I prefer to get my hands dirty if I have to kill someone, but I like to avoid the whole killing thing when I can."

"Yeah I saw a recap of that hands on action with Nikola." Will stepped around Helen and inhaled the aroma filling the kitchen.

"I wasn't trying to kill him." Tegan carried the bowl of spring mix salad into the dinning room and put it on the table. "I think the ham is ready to come out."

"Thanks." Henry jumped up.

"That's right." Will nodded. "You just wanted to 'hurt him a whole lot.'"

"Still do." Tegan looked at Helen who bristled slightly. "But I'll get over it I'm sure."

"What smells so good?" Kate contorted herself around Helen to get a better look.

"It's really nothing special." Tegan hefted the scalloped potatoes off the counter.

"Let me take those." Will offered.

"It's hot." She warned as he tried to maneuver his hands onto the pot holders she was holding it with and not burn himself.

After dinner Kate and Biggie cleaned up. Helen fell into step along side Tegan in the hall after Henry and Will had disappeared. "Dinner was delicious, thank you."

"No problem." Tegan glanced at her, taking in her profile as they proceeded to the elevator. "I should have that paperwork done by tomorrow."

"I didn't mean for you to spend all day working on it."

"There wasn't much else to do."

"You've got free run here, and there is an entire library of books you're welcome to read."

Tegan nodded.

"About dinner…" Helen started.

"If you don't want me cooking, that's fine, just tell me."

"I don't want you cooking," Helen pressed the recall button for the elevator as Tegan stopped and turned toward her. "Because you feel you have to."

"I am staying here rent free." Tegan watched the doors to the elevator slide open.

"As my guest." Helen stepped into the elevator and turned toward her. "You don't have to earn your keep, and especially not while you're still recovering."

"It's good physical therapy." A ghost of a smile kissed Tegan's lips. "And as I said earlier, I enjoy it."

"As long as you know it's not expected of you." Helen pressed the button and the doors slid shut.

"I do."


	29. Chapter 29

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 29**

The next morning at eleven Tegan knocked on the open door to Helen's office. Helen looked up and smiled. "Come in."

"I've got that tome you asked for."

"Sorry." Helen glanced at the packet of papers Tegan was returning. "I know it was a lot of information."

"I didn't know how thorough of a medical history you needed so I just skimmed over some of my hospitalizations and near death experiences." She handed the papers over. "If you have any questions you know where to find me."

The corners of Helen's mouth curled upward and she nodded before dropping her eyes to the packet eager to look it over.

"I do have some information for you." Helen pointed to the chair and continued after Tegan sat down. "I have certain sources that I can go to for information that isn't public knowledge and I'm sorry to say that there is not and never has been a Stargate program on this planet.

"There was a professor Langford who did a dig in Giza in 1928 but no artifacts that match the description of your Stargate were found."

Tegan nodded once before Helen continued.

"Henry was able to track down a Samantha Carter who works for NASA. She told him he really needed to get his head examined. But just to be certain he also did an unauthorized search of the military database for the term Stargate and found nothing."

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry." Helen offered.

"Don't be. If there is no Stargate then maybe that means there are no Goa'uld. A Stargate here wouldn't have necessarily increased my chances of returning home."

Helen nodded her understanding.

"Hey." Henry found Tegan in the library.

"Hello Henry." She turned to him after pulling out what she deemed the dustiest book at eye level. She was sure there were even older less recently read ones higher in the stacks, but they would have to wait.

"Do you have a minute?" He watched her blow dust and cobwebs into the air and realized Biggie didn't get in the library to clean nearly often enough.

"Sure." She looked toward the table and hefted the book slightly.

"You can take it out of here without invoking the wrath of Magnus."

"Good, because I'm pretty sure I don't want to invoke her wrath."

"You don't even want to be around her wrath even when it's not directed at you."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Yeah. So, follow me?"

Tegan nodded.

"Cheese." Henry flashed the camera in her face after positioning her in front of a boring white backdrop. "Ok now a serious one."

"So I'm being catalogued?"

"She likes to have a current picture of everyone on file."

"Not so good with remembering things?"

"Oh, she never forgets anything. It's actually rather annoying." He snapped a second picture and checked the LCD preview. "Perfect."

"If I find out you put that on facebook and told everyone I'm your girlfriend…"

Henry laughed nervously. "I saw what you did to Nikola. Trust me; I don't want to get on your bad side either."

* * *

><p>"You're late." Helen looked up as Tegan walked into the dinning room at ten after six.<p>

"Sorry I was reading and lost track of time."

"Reading?" Kate popped a cherry tomato into her mouth.

"Yeah, they make these things filled with paper and words called books." Tegan grinned.

"Cause we all know Kate never reads." Henry joked.

"I read." Kate looked at Helen who was smiling at the friendly banter.

"Comic books don't count." Biggie grunted.

"Grab some grub while it's hot." Henry pointed to the vegetarian casserole on the table that smelled of curry which meant Kate had cooked.

"Will have a hot date?" Tegan scooped half a cup onto her plate.

"Not tonight." Helen looked and the child sized portion Tegan was eating. "He's out on an errand."

Tegan nodded. She pointed to the casserole dish. "Kate I'm going to have get the recipe."

"Can't help you out, being illiterate and all, I can't write." She stuck her tongue out at Henry. "Isn't that right Hank?"

Tegan tilted her head to Henry, it was the first time she'd heard Kate use her pet name for him.

"Right."

"So you just carry a big gun, kick butt and look pretty."

"Aw, did you hear that Hank? She thinks I'm pretty."

"She wasn't coming on to you." Henry rolled his eyes and pointed at Tegan. "Do you see what you started?"

"Children." Helen shook her head. When Tegan looked at her she lowered her eyes to her plate, brought them back up to meet green ones and raised her eyebrows.

Tegan speared a piece of zucchini.


	30. Chapter 30

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 30**

Twenty-four and half hours later there was a knock on Tegan's door. "I'm giving you sixty seconds and then I'm coming in."

The accent was unmistakable, that mid to late nineteenth century British that Tegan couldn't quite pin down the region. She rolled over on her right side ignoring the tenderness in her shoulder.

Helen opened the door to find Tegan lying with her back to the door. The room was dark but Helen could make out the flannel bottoms and dark gray v-neck Tegan was wearing from the amount of light flooding in from the hall. She noticed her prosthetic was over on the night table.

Helen stepped into the room her heels clacking on the hardwood floor. "Tegan?"

She took a deep breath and Helen waited for her to respond.

"Dr. Kiser?" Her voice hitched as she tapped her stethoscope against her leg.

"I told you, I'm not a doctor here."

"Rough day?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not in the mood to talk."

"You haven't been out of your room all day." She pushed her knee against the mattress, shaking it lightly. "We missed you at dinner. Will thinks it's a coping mechanism. I think you're just bullheaded."

Tegan rolled onto her back and looked at Helen who was silhouetted by the yellow light from the hall. "What do I have to do to get you to leave?"

Helen smiled sadly. She wondered what had happened to the woman who was joking around at dinner the night before; but she knew it was going to be a bumpy road for Tegan at best. She couldn't expect her to just digest the news she got and get over it in a few days, or even weeks.

"I need to take a listen to your lungs."

"Tomorrow." Tegan let her eyes drop to the stethoscope hanging in Helen's loose fist.

"Tonight." Helen countered. "I didn't bug you with this yesterday."

"I…" Tegan took a deep breath and coughed lightly. She didn't want to be weak, but she couldn't do it, not without longing for Janet to be the one holding the stethoscope. "I can't."

Helen caught the break in her voice. "Missing home?"

Tegan looked away.

"Tomorrow, nine o'clock sharp in the infirmary." She stared at her for a minute. "I'll hunt you down if you aren't there."

Helen was just about to walk out of the exam room when Tegan came in, her hair still wet from a recent shower. "You're late."

Tegan looked at her watch.

"I did say nine sharp."

"Traffic was heavy and I had to wait for the train."

"Cheeky monkey." Helen shook her head and pointed to the exam table. "Have a seat."

Tegan walked in front of her and hefted herself onto the table.

"Sleep?"

"Yeah." She stared at Helen's mouth.

"How long?"

"You know I forgot to set my stopwatch."

Helen regarded her for a minute. "Ok. How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"You wouldn't lie to me would you Dr. Kiser?"

"Would you please stop calling me that."

"You are a doctor, are you not?"

"What's your point?"

"You should be proud of that accomplishment and not just forget about it."

"It doesn't matter."

"It does, and I believe you're avoiding my question." Helen put her hand on Tegan's knee, feeling her body heat through the denim.

"What question was that?" Tegan's eyes fell to the hand on her knee as Helen lifted it off.

She waited for Tegan to lift her eyes to hers. "Would you lie to me?"

Tegan studied her face while formulating her answer. "I don't have any reason to lie to you."

She inhaled deeply through her nose. "So how do you feel?"

She knew this game, knew it very well. "I'm fine. With all things being relative I will almost always be fine."

"What do you use for your basis of relativity in this situation?"

"As long as I'm alive and breathing, I'm fine."

"So when you're dead, you'll no longer be fine?"

"Winner, winner, chicken dinner."

Helen wondered if the less than friendly sarcasm was a remnant from the previous day's depression. "I want to get some blood work from you first."

Tegan held her arm out and watched Helen tie the tourniquet and slide the needle into her vein. "You do know they make these things called vacutainers now? They are wonderful for drawing blood."

"These work just fine." Helen sighed as Tegan lightened her mood slightly.

"I'm just saying." Tegan slipped her biomechanical fingers over the cotton ball Helen was holding against the site once she'd removed the needle.

"If you'll give me a few minutes to run this?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Tegan looked around the room as Helen left, taking the set up in. It had more of a clinic feel to it then the other medical rooms she had seen.

"You're white count is slightly elevated." Helen announced when she pushed the door shut upon her return. "Not enough to indicate a full blown infection, but it could be the start of one."

Tegan nodded and chose not to mention the greenish yellow mucous she'd coughed up in the shower which could have just been green tinged from sitting in her lungs too long. As long as she was getting it out of her system she was ok.

"Any fevers?" Helen held the thermometer out and when she spoke slipped it under her tongue.

"No." Tegan made a face as the cool glass rod found its way into her mouth. She hated making the comparison, but it was possible this woman was actually worse than Dr. Fraiser. The thought of Janet caused her chest to physically ache so she focused instead on the dark blue eyes that were studying her.

Helen saw the flash of sadness as green eyes met hers, but she blinked and it was gone. She felt like she couldn't breathe herself and wondered why she felt so much empathy for this woman who was doing her best to hide her emotions. Was it because of her beauty which she seemed unaware of or did it have to do with the fact she somehow knew there was a fragile girl hiding underneath all those layers of steel, Kevlar and brick?

She shook the thought from her head as Tegan removed the thermometer from her mouth.

"99.2" Tegan raised an eyebrow but let it fall quickly. "It's still normal."

Helen nodded. There wasn't a reason to put her on an antibiotic yet. She reached into her lab coat pocket as she walked behind Tegan and pulled out her stethoscope.

"You're actually sounding better." She didn't hide her surprise as she re-pocketed her stethoscope. She reached up and put her hand on Tegan's shoulder. "How's it feeling?"

Tegan closed her eyes at the contact glad Helen was still behind her. "It's getting back to normal."

"I'm glad you didn't say 'fine.'"

Helen pulled her hand away breaking the contact and noticed Tegan's shoulders slump ever so slightly. She fingered the hem of her shirt and watched her tense. "I just want to check the bruising."

Tegan nodded.

Helen was surprised how quickly they were being reabsorbed. Though her whole back was an interesting shade of yellow-green and she still had some dark black and purple bruises in correlation with the worst of her rib fractures. "How are the ribs feeling?"

"As long as I don't breathe too deep or cough they're fine."

"Or do any rough housing."

"You must have heard Biggie and I were planning a kick boxing match this afternoon."

Helen smiled at the joke and pulled her shirt back down. "Actually I thought you and Kate could go shopping for a better wardrobe this afternoon."

"You don't like my clogs?" Tegan wiggled her feet as Helen walked around to stand in front of her again.

"Your combat boots are more fitting."

Tegan narrowed her eyes on Helen wondering exactly how to take that comment.

"I want you to buy some clothes that fit your style." Helen continued. "Whatever you want, and don't worry about the cost. When you get on your feet you can pay me back. And that in no way means I want you out."

Helen had no intention of letting her pay her back, at least not monetarily. If things worked out in her favor hopefully that wouldn't be an issue. And if not she hoped to have at least gained an ally for the Sanctuary out in the real world.

"One more thing." Helen put her hand on Tegan's knee again feeling the need to have a physical connection with her. "I would really like you to let me give you something to help you sleep tonight. I will do it down here, and I'll stay with you all night."

Tegan shook her head as Helen squeezed her knee lightly.

"You won't dream tonight, I promise. At least consider it and let me know at dinner."

Tegan swallowed as Helen removed her hand.

"If you'll meet Kate in the garage in an hour she'll take you shopping and out to lunch."

"Thank you." Tegan slid off the edge of the table. She stood so close to Helen she could swear she could feel the blood pulsing through the other woman's body. She had to get away. "I need to…"

Helen watched her point to the door and nodded.


	31. Chapter 31

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 31**

Will walked into the kitchen and found Tegan at the sink scrubbing potatoes. "Big lunch?"

"Dinner, I saw you were on the schedule to cook tonight and thought I'd spare us all from smoke inhalation."

"Very funny, it was one time and I didn't know I had put the towel in the oven."

"We've all burnt something Dr. Zimmerman." She remembered the last thing she'd burnt. She's been making pancakes when Janet's slender fingers and kisses had distracted her. They were interrupted in their love making by the smoke detector going off. She shook the memory from her mind.

He blushed at the way she said his name. "It's Will remember."

"Sorry." She dropped her eyes as she picked up a knife. "Will."

"I've got to get back to work."

"Did you come in for something?" She eyed his empty coffee cup as she sliced through a potato.

"Oh." He looked down embarrassed. "I did."

By the time he finished getting his coffee Tegan had put the chunks of potato in the crock pot and moved on to the organic carrots.

"Um – thanks for taking care of dinner."

"Don't mention it."

Helen and Henry were in the garage when Tegan came in.

"Sweet ride." She immediately gravitated to the black Ducati 848 that sat away from all the other vehicles. She tried not to drool.

"You ride?" Helen asked as she walked over to the bike.

Tegan nodded. "I had a custom yellow Ducati S4R Monster but I sold it to prevent some relationship issues."

Henry stared at her trying to imagine what she looked like decked out in riding leathers. It was too hot for his brain to handle.

Helen didn't see her as the submissive or relenting type, so either it was an abusive relationship or she was in deep. Helen guessed it was the latter.

"Is it yours?" Tegan asked.

"No." Helen sighed the sadness dancing across her face. "It belonged to my daughter, Ashley."

"I'm sorry." Tegan stepped back from the bike. The last thing she wanted to do was stir up bad memories.

"It's been a year." Helen offered. "I don't even know if it still runs."

Tegan looked over at three other bikes clustered together, all black nondescript sports bikes. Then she looked back at Helen and touched her arm briefly. "I'm sure it never gets any easier."

"Some days are better than others, and I carry on with the work because it's what she would want."

"Are you ready?" Kate walked in and jingled her keys in the air.

"Go on." Helen smiled faintly. "Have fun."

"How did the shopping trip go?" Helen joined Tegan in the kitchen at quarter til six.

"Fine. Thank you." Tegan put the crusty French bread, she and Kate had picked up, on the middle of the rack in the oven to heat up. She turned and began working on a tossed salad. "Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes."

Helen nodded even though Tegan's back was to her. "Have you given my offer any more thought?"

"No dreams?" It was too good to be true.

"You'll be in a deep enough sleep that you shouldn't remember what you dream." Helen knew it was impossible to keep the mind from dreaming, and that doing so could be detrimental to the human psyche.

"I think I'll pass."

Helen stepped up behind her so close Tegan could feel the energy radiating off her. Her voice was just above a whisper. "I beg you to reconsider."

Tegan stopped peeling the cucumber she was working on and her muscles tensed.

"How much sleep have you gotten since I released you?" Helen's voice was back to normal.

Tegan shook her head.

"Have you slept longer than an hour consecutively?"

Tegan turned. Helen's face was just inches from hers. "I'm trying to finish dinner."

"So no?" Helen knew she'd painted her into a corner, and she had two options; tell the truth or lie. She knew which one Tegan would pick.

"No." Tegan looked over her shoulder as Will came in.

Helen stepped back and cleared her throat. "As your doctor –"

"As my doctor?" Tegan bit back a laugh as she interrupted her. "As if I had a choice."

"Would you like a second opinion?" Helen held her arm out to Will.

Tegan spun around to finish the salad.

"I promise you I will be with you all night and I do have a sound proof room if –"

"Fine." Tegan whispered.

"Fine?"

"I'll do it." She sighed.

Tegan arrived in the infirmary a few minutes before eight wearing a pair of black watch plaid pajama bottoms and a black t shirt courtesy of her shopping spree. Biggie had washed and returned all of her new clothes.

Helen was still priming the IV tubing when she looked up. "Ready?"

"Almost." Tegan reached up and removed her prosthetic putting it on the counter.

"Ribs?" Helen thought she saw her grimace.

"No." She realized Helen was waiting for an explanation. "Phantom pain."

"How long ago did you lose your arm?"

"Nine months."

"Really? I'd say you've made an amazing recovery."

Tegan climbed into the bed and offered her right arm to Helen. Within a few minutes of starting the IV Tegan was sleeping soundly. Helen smiled to herself.

"Feeling better?" Helen asked when Tegan awoke around nine the next morning.

"Much." She stretched carefully and sat on the side of the bed. "I didn't keep up the entire Sanctuary did I?"

"You didn't make a sound."

Tegan scratched behind her ear as Helen handed her her arm. She couldn't remember what or if she had dreamt. "Good."

"Can you meet me in my office in about an hour?"

"Sure."


	32. Chapter 32

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 32**

Tegan took a shower and pulled on a pair of dark jeans and a black tank top with a short-sleeved charcoal gray button down over it. When she arrived at the threshold to Helen's office she noticed everyone was there. Kate, Will, Henry and the Big Guy were standing around the office.

"Come on in, don't be shy." Helen beckoned from behind her desk where she stood holding a tan document envelope in her hands.

Tegan stepped into the room. Will's eyes dropped to her kick ass leather boots.

"Looks like Kate was wrong about heels." Helen's voice dripped with approval.

"Why can't Abby ever wear anything like that?" Will mumbled.

Bigfoot smacked him in the back of the head.

"Oh." He brought his eyes up, only pausing briefly on her cleavage. "Did I say that out loud?"

"You sure did dude." Henry was having a hard time keeping his mouth from gaping open as he followed the curve of her hip. The jeans she was wearing were far from painted on but he thought they fit so much better then the ones Kate had picked out for her.

Helen stepped out from behind her desk and handed the envelope to Tegan. "Inside you will find your new ID card. Congratulations, you now officially exist."

_Great!_ Tegan kept the thought to herself as she flipped the flap open and pulled the papers out along with a laminated photo ID.

"William can take you next week to get your license to operate a car and motorcycle if you wish."

Tegan gave a small nod.

Henry watched as Tegan began flipping through the various documents, a birth certificate, new social security card and several diplomas were included. "It's all verifiable so you shouldn't have any problems."

She glanced at him without lifting her head.

"I am still working getting you set up to take the licensing boards for your medical licenses as well as your pilot's license." Helen drew her attention.

Tegan shook her head. "Thank you, I – thank you."

"It's the least I could do." Helen looked at Henry, as her computer started alarming.

Henry stepped behind Helen's desk and she followed him.

"What is it?" Helen looked over his shoulder as he pulled up the information on the monitor.

"That new intake from last night," Henry pointed at the empty room with a large hole ripped in through the steel door. "It looks like he woke up on the wrong side of the shoe."

"I thought you said he was supposed to be docile?" Will looked at Helen with an, 'I think we've done this dance before' look on his face.

"His species usually are, except for the juveniles."

"Great!" Will rolled his eyes. "We got a teenager."

"Henry, lock down the Sanctuary. Kate weapons, tranqs only."

"On it." Kate turned to leave and froze. "Uh, Doc?"

"What is it Kate?" Helen looked up from the monitor and there in the doorway stood the black creature blocking the entire exit.

His face reminded Tegan of a rhinoceros, his head was covered in a short course black hair and his ears were further down on his head more like a human's but had the distinct shape of a rhinoceros'. He had razor like claws attached to black furry paws like a giant panther and he stood on two legs. His torso was solid muscle and bare black skin rippled over his chest and well defined abdominal muscles. His shoulders spanned the entire width of the doorframe, squeezing against it when his chest expanded as he inhaled.

He let out a roar and instead of the fire Tegan half expected to see, she saw a flash of silver in a sea of red.

"Everyone stay calm."

Tegan thought that was easy for Helen to say, she saw this sort of thing on a regular basis.

He snarled, and sniffed the air before he turned toward Kate who was standing the closest. He opened his mouth and like a flash of lightening his silver tipped tongue flicked out. The appendage flung out much like a frog's tongue with striking accuracy. Kate rolled backward missing the full brunt of the attack.

"Ouch!" She lifted her arm as blood over filled the cut he'd left behind. "Man that stings!"

"Docile, really?" Will glance from Kate to Helen as Tegan stepped back slowly and dropped the envelope she was holding onto the corner of the desk.

"He's scared." Helen shrugged. She'd never actually seen a juvenile before.

"Is it possible he's having a reaction to the tranquilizers?" Tegan asked.

Helen's right eyebrow twitched at the idea, but before she could say anything the creature growled and lunged for Will who stumbled backward hitting his head on the marble mantelpiece. Biggie growled back and threw himself between the beast and Will who lay there unmoving.

Claws extended further than they initially had been and he swiped his giant paw catching Biggie in the chest and sending him flying across the room where he landed in the corner with blood seeping into the tears in his gray shirt.

"Hey!" Henry barked getting his attention. The creature turned toward the desk, Henry was still behind it but Helen had moved so she was standing nearer Tegan. It was a protective move.

Tegan heard Henry growl, and stepped sideways as she watched him transform in front of her eyes into a hairy wolf-like creature. _Ok, it's time to wake up. This stuff is too freaky and I really don't believe in werewolves. They are just things made up in fairytales to scare little children, right?_

But there he was, one minute he was Henry and the next he was a fur covered whatever leaping across Helen's desk without disturbing a single item on it.

The beast put up both paws blocking the transformed Henry's full body tackle and tossed him on top of Bigfoot who was trying to find his feet but was knocked flat again. The air forced from his lungs when Henry landed on him none to gently.

Tegan froze as the large black beast turned his orange eyes to her and sniffed the air around her. Helen stepped forward and without warning he cast his sliver tipped tongue in her direction. The sound of it slicing the air rang out.

"Ah!" Helen jumped back just barely avoiding the well-honed tip. She wasn't as lucky at avoiding his paw, which boxed the side of her head.

"Over here Beastie." Tegan called out to him and he lifted his head toward her. "Come to momma."

He stepped forward pushing Kate out of the way. He snarled, thick strings of salvia dripping from his jowls.

"Nasty." Tegan waved her hand in front her nose. "You need a breath mint or two."

She bobbed out of the way, avoiding his flicking tongue as Helen pushed herself up and lunged forward.

Hearing the movement he turned his head in her direction, his tongue darting out with the speed of a bullet. The tip stabbed into Helen's chest. She cried out in pain as the tongue retracted.

Tegan felt the spray of warm blood as the droplets spattered her face, neck and arm. She wasn't sure if it cast off from his tongue or directly from Helen's wound. She saw Helen fall backwards from the impact combined with her pain zapping her strength.


	33. Chapter 33

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 33**

"Hey." Tegan's voice was soft as she eyed the bodies lying scattered around the office. Henry was scrambling to his feet and she barely registered his nakedness as her worried eyes fell back to Helen. She stepped sideways and talked calmly. "It's ok Beastie. No one is going to hurt you."

He canted his head to the side as if trying to comprehend what Tegan was saying.

"It's alright boy." She knelt beside Helen as she heard the unmistakable slurping of air entering Helen's chest via the hole created by the talented wielder of the sliver tipped tongue. She glanced down and saw foaming blood at the entry wound.

She heard him sniff the air around her again and looked back at him. "Do you like cake?"

He looked at her inquisitively.

Without looking she put her hand down covering Helen's wound and as she tried to inhale Tegan could feel the skin of her palm being pulled against it. It wasn't an airtight seal by any means and she could feel air being sucked between her hand and the cornflower blue material of Helen's cotton shirt.

_Shit._ She cursed silently to herself and she noticed the creature's tired eyes as he stumbled a step closer.

Will moaned and rubbed his head as an idea came to her.

"'Hush bye-bye, don't you cry. Go to sleep my little baby.'" She couldn't believe she was singing that song to an oversized human-like rhinoceros-panther beast. She pressed harder against Helen's wound for what little good it would do and continued to sing as rhino-boy started to sway on his feet. "'When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little horses.'"

As she finished the second verse she heard Henry in the doorway. "The voice of an angel."

The beast turned and roared at the interruption.

Tegan jumped lightly as she heard the blast from the concussion gun and the half-asleep beast fell into at unconscious heap inches from Helen's feet.

"Thanks." She turned her attention to Helen who was still struggling to breathe.

"No problem." Henry grabbed a cushion off the couch and covered himself with his free hand.

"Magnus?" Will yelled a little louder than necessary as he saw the blood bubbling up through Tegan's fingers.

"This isn't going to work." She moved her hand and pulled Helen's shirt out of the way before replacing her hand. It helped only minimally.

"Can't…"

"I know. Don't try to talk. You've got a sucking chest wound. Does anyone have –" Tegan looked around knowing she wasn't going to find a pack of cigarettes on anyone in the group, at least not anyone willing to admit to smoking, and probably not even a zip-lock bag, though the cellophane on the cigarettes would work best.

Biggie was now standing over her holding pressure against his own superficial wounds, and she didn't have to look back to know Kate and still naked Henry were looking over her shoulder.

She sighed there wasn't time to spare. The longer she hesitated the closer Helen got to greeting St. Peter at the pearly gates. As was, her lips had already lost their color and the cyanosis was starting to seep into her lovely face. She reached into her back pocket and quickly pulled out the picture of Cassie. Without giving it a second thought she slipped the laminated picture between her hand and the wound. On the next inhale the image sucked flat against the wound and Helen gasped. "Thank – you."

"Save your strength." She turned and looked at the group standing around them and started doling out orders. "Henry, get some clothes on, I'm going to need your help."

"I don't…" He pointed to the blood.

_Great, werewolf-boy's afraid of a little blood. _She looked at the still unconscious creature. "I think someone needs to be secured."

"Big Guy, go down to the infirmary and try not to bleed all over the place." Tegan looked at Will. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Um, none?"

"Good, your head is fine. I need you to get me a stretcher to transport Magnus on and some morphine." She looked down as Helen shook her head no. "Not for me silly, and trust me you're going to want it."

"What about me?" Kate asked.

"Let me see your arm."

Kate held her arm out. "It's fine."

"And I'm Ronald McDonald." Tegan shook her head.

"I knew you looked familiar." Kate smirked.

"It needs sutures but it's going to have to wait until I take care of Magnus and the Big Guy."

"Fine." Kate shrugged. "I'll wrap it and give Henry a hand."

* * *

><p>AN: I don't actually write song fics, but you will see songs mentioned, or lyrics used from time to time.

"All the Pretty Little Horses" AKA "Hush-a-bye" is a traditional African American lullaby. according to wikipedia.


	34. Chapter 34

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 34**

After knocking her out with a healthy dose of Morphine, Tegan put in a chest tube to help Helen's lung re-inflate. She cleaned the wound and put an airtight dressing over it using sterile Vaseline impregnated gauze. She had to ask Biggie where to find the gauze and the chest tube tray and sent Will, her concussed assistant, to get them. Once she was done patching Helen up she put him on a stool in the isolation room she'd been in before along with Helen.

She glanced at the monitor. "Keep an eye on her. If her pulse ox drops below 94 yell."

She moved to the exam room where Biggie was trying to clean his own wounds.

"Magnus?"

"She's going to be fine." She took the gauze from him and picked up where he left off. "A couple of these are deep, I need to close them up."

Henry and Kate walked in as she was finishing up. "He's secure in a new cell complete with an electrified door."

She nodded to the exam table as she walked to the sink to wash her hands. "You're next Kate."

"It's really nothing."

"Nothing a few sutures and a shot of antibiotics won't fix." Tegan lathered her hands with soap.

"Whoa, I don't need a shot."

"That 'dude' just got a mouthful of his slobber in you arm, its crawling with bacteria. But if you want to skip the antibiotics because you're afraid of a little needle and you'd rather watch your arm turn black and fall off, then that's your prerogative."

"No, no. A shot is just fine."

"Good because these don't come in happy meals." She indicated her biomechanical arm before she dried her hands and pulled the suture tray over to Kate. "How about you Henry?"

"I'm fine. The Big Guy padded my landing."

Biggie grunted as he slid off the stretcher.

"Magnus needs rest." She warned him pulling on a pair of latex gloves.

"I know." He grumbled.

"And you need to take it easy for a few days at least." She looked over her shoulder as he grunted twice. "I mean it."

"Hey." Henry looked away as she injected Lidocaine into the area around Kate's laceration. "What you saw in there…"

"Werewolf?" Tegan asked.

"Kind of. I'm a class nine hyper accelerated protean life form. HAP for short."

Tegan nodded and started to work on suturing Kate's arm.

"Sorry I didn't tell you."

"We all have our secrets Henry."

"You're not mad?"

She looked up at him and offered a small smile. "Should I be?"

"I just don't want this to cause issues between us."

"Because you're a 'HAP' or because I saw you naked?"

Henry blushed. "I'm going to make sure our friend really is secure."

Kate laughed as he backed out of the room. She watched Tegan wrap her arm in gauze. "Nice call on the singing."

"It could've gone either way."

"Nah, not with that voice."

"Alright," She ignore the compliment. "I'll need to change that tomorrow."

"Great." Kate jumped off the table and started for the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Tegan was drawing the dose of antibiotic into a syringe.

"Nope."

"Kate?"

"Fine, where's it going?"

Tegan smiled. "Drop 'em."

"You're a little sadistic, you know that?"

When she finished up there she went back to find Will holding an icepack she'd given him earlier to the back of his head and staring at the monitor. "How's she doing?"

"Hasn't changed."

Tegan nodded. She hadn't expected it to. "And you?"

"I've got a pretty hard head."

"I still want to check you over."


	35. Chapter 35

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 35**

Tegan was sitting in a chair reading up on the abnormal that had attacked Helen and the others. Helen had been correct about them being docile; what she failed to mention was they were docile vegetarians as adults but very aggressive carnivores as young. It was how the species survived according to what was in the documentation Henry had found and passed along.

She looked up when she felt a cool stare.

"Don't even think about it." Helen warned in a raspy voice as Tegan started to stand.

She rose and put the book in the chair. "I was merely going to ask if you wanted tea or water."

Helen eyed her. "You would drug me into next week if I let you."

"There was no way I could have cleaned that wound and put in a chest tube without giving you something for pain." She held a cup out to Helen who accepted it. "As was you still screamed like Will when he sees a spider."

She pushed the straw out of her mouth with her tongue. "I did not."

"You cried out at any rate, not that I blame you." Tegan pointed to the x-ray films on the computer monitor. "You don't have any fractured ribs. If he'd hit a rib it might have spared you the collapsed lung. I scrubbed the wound and irrigated it as best I could and put in airtight dressing over it."

Helen nodded. "And the others?"

"Will sustained a rather large goose egg, but his neuro checks were fine. I went over basic head trauma protocol with him. Seems he's been there and done that. So far he hasn't had any signs of intracranial swelling.

"Kate had a five inch laceration which I debrided and closed it with silk sutures before sending her on her way with a healthy dose of Rocephin IM, the same of which I gave you."

"That explains the sore thigh."

"You've got a chest tube in and you're going to complain about two grams of Rocephin which I split."

"Just the left one hurts."

"You've got a bruise on your left thigh. I think you hit it when he knocked you down."

"Oh."

"Biggie looked like Freddy Kruger attacked. I stitched him up and he took care of the rest of his care. And Henry is fine aside from the embarrassment of me seeing him without a thread of clothing, playing GI Joe to take down a far from docile water rat-frog."

"It's not a water rat-frog."

"I know. I've seen pictures of those. They're cute in comparison. He's a fire breathing carnivorous leo-diceros bicornis who is too young to use fire and not old enough to have evolved to docile."

Helen nodded. "You really took charge."

"Yes, and I've already given my apologies for giving orders."

"Don't apologize, someone needed to step up and take over and you did."

"Henry did all the bang-bang shoot 'em up stuff, and the heavy lifting."

"That may be, but you distracted him and then tended to four injured. Nice call on the plastic."

Tegan looked away and gave a small nod. "It was nothing."

"Modest in more ways than one." Helen frowned. "I'm not sure I like it."

Tegan turned and looked at her. "I just did what needed to be done."

"Hey." Henry stuck his head in the door. "You're awake."

"I am."

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Helen smiled softly at the look Tegan shot her.

"Uh huh." He looked at Tegan and then back to Helen. "You have a visitor. Tesla's at the front gate. I can send him away if you want."

"No." Helen watched Tegan for any signs of disagreement. "Send Nikola down."

"Tesla?" Tegan asked as Henry closed the door. "As in Nikola Tesla?"

"The one and only." Helen nodded.

"Great." She looked up as he walked into view.

"Helen." Nikola opened the door and stepped in. "You kick me out and look what happens."

"It had nothing to do with you not being here." Helen made sure he knew she didn't need his protection.

He looked at Tegan. "Do you mind giving us some privacy Sunshine?"

She looked at Helen who nodded. "Sure thing bat breath."

"Bat breath?" Nikola put his hand up to his throat. "I take offense to that."

Tegan smiled smugly. "Ten minutes, she needs her rest."

"Who died and made you Dr. Magnus?"

"Nikola." Helen gave him a weary expression.

Tegan merely shook her head and walked out.

"She did save my life."

"Oh Helen, you always were such a drama queen." He smiled at his joke. "I'm sure it's just a little scratch. Besides I bet Bigfoot did all the work."

"He was injured too. In fact Henry was the only one she didn't have to treat."

"Wolf-boy? I'm surprised."

"Nikola, why are you here?"

"I came to apologize."

"Then you're talking to the wrong person."

"She wants to kill me."

"You can't possibly blame her."

"Of course I can." He smirked and turned to look out the window to see Tegan and Will talking. "Have you ever seen anyone so beautiful? I mean besides you and me of course."

"Of course." Helen rolled her eyes. "But you haven't a chance."

"And why ever not?

"I think ruining her chances of ever returning home nixes your chances of getting a date. Besides I wouldn't stand for it."

"Jealous?" He looked back at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Of you? Never."

He bent over and kissed her on her check. "I do believe my time is up."


	36. Chapter 36

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 36**

Tegan glanced at Nikola as he shut the glass door behind him, her biomechanical hand balled into a fist. She looked back at Will. "If you'll excuse me?"

"Sure."

Tegan started toward Helen's room but was stopped by Nikola stepping into her path. "Can I help you?"

"I was hoping we could talk over a glass of wine."

"You drink a lot don't you?" She eyed him.

"Alcohol has no effect on me, and I have no need for food. It's one of my vises."

"I don't drink."

"Well," He turned his head letting his tongue play briefly on an upper incisor. "That certainly explains a lot."

"I'm busy." She stepped around him.

He looked at Will. "You can't say I didn't try."

"Please." Will shook his head. "I doubt you've ever apologized to anyone."

Tegan looked at Helen's chest tube and checked the monitor readouts.

"If Nikola being here is a problem –"

"What do you want to eat? We're cleaning out the fridge tonight." Tegan changed the subject before Helen could even finish what she was going to say.

"Is there any hamburger stew left from last night? That was really good."

Tegan had already laid claim to the last serving and now she was glad she had. "Assuming Henry didn't eat it along with the curried veggies there should be some left. I'll go heat it up for you."

"Have you eaten?"

Tegan shook her head. She hadn't left Helen's side except to patch up the others.

"You need to eat too." She waited until Tegan reached the door. "I'll ask him to leave."

Tegan's shoulders relaxed briefly before she took a deep breath and turned back to her, her hand resting on the door. "There's no need. He's your friend and I can deal with it."

"I'd like to think that we could be friends as well, and I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Tegan shook her head. "It isn't necessary."

"We all need friends." Helen said to an empty room.

"Sunshine." Nikola called after her in the hall as she headed for the kitchen.

"I have a name you know." She continued to on her trek.

"Right." He snapped his fingers and jogged up to her. "Dr. Sunshine."

"Kiser." She grumbled and stepped into the kitchen.

"I knew that." He smirked and leaned against the doorframe.

Tegan opened the refrigerator and pulled out the bowl of leftover hamburger stew. She put it in the microwave pressing several buttons before it turned on. She pulled out the last of the homemade lemonade and poured it over ice. "Did you want something or do you just like stalking me?"

Nikola let his eyes travel over her body and licked his lower lip. "I saw something in the mirror."

She wanted to ask him what, but she couldn't bear it if he told her he'd seen her team looking for her.

He watched her plating a salad. "I didn't go in there with the intent of breaking the mirror."

She put salad dressing into a small silver condiment cup and sat it on the tray.

"I was curious about it to be honest."

"An honest vampire?" Tegan mumbled and rolled her eyes as she pulled out the peanut butter.

"I try." He offered before continuing. "I saw things on the other side of the mirror and all I could think about was what if they come through like you did. What if they were the Goa'uld you talked about?"

"Things?" She looked up from the sandwich she was making. "Never mind, I don't want to know."

He watched her put the peanut butter away, and close the bread with a clip. "Look, I know it makes no difference to you and I would do it again, but I am sorry you can't go home."

She knew it was the closest he would come to actually apologizing for what he'd done, and if she'd been in his shoes she might have done the same.

"Isn't there something you want to say to me?" He asked when she finished washing the knife she'd used.

"Like what?" She pulled the hot stew out of the microwave.

"You're sorry for trying to kill me."

"I didn't try to kill you." She picked up the tray and walked up to him. "If I had tried to kill you, you'd know it."

He watched her walk down the hall, taking in her form until she turned the corner.


	37. Chapter 37

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 37**

"I'm not that hungry." Helen looked at the tray Tegan sat in front of her.

"Sorry." Tegan picked up the saucer with the sandwich off the tray. "That's mine."

"Peanut butter, wasn't there something better?"

"It's protein, it sticks to you and I'm really not hungry."

"Yet you haven't eaten all day." Helen eyed her.

"You've been sleeping, you wouldn't know if I have."

"You forget I have eyes everywhere."

"Kate came by while I was gone, didn't she?" She had been by around seven and tried to get Tegan to eat, it was now after ten.

"She did. You did a nice job on her sutures. I doubt it will even leave a scar which is surprising for a military doctor." Helen took a bite of her stew.

"I learned my suture technique from a plastic surgeon, although they aren't always that neat when I'm in the field. And they aren't as clean as they were when I had both my hands."

"You seem to do pretty well with that one."

"I got lucky, even on my earth there wasn't another prosthetic that came close to it."

"If being invaded by those things could be considered lucky."

Tegan nodded and put the sandwich in her chair. "I think positive things can happen in the face of negative ones."

"Like you being here."

"I don't follow." She shook her head.

"You saved my life, had you not been here I would have suffocated or bled out. And I thank you for that."

"It was nothing." Tegan shook her head.

"I beg to differ. I am indebted to you."

"I think we can call it even."

"You're injuries were not life threatening." Helen pointed out.

"Maybe not, but you're giving me a new life."

"I'm doing no such thing." Helen picked up her lemonade. "You're doing that yourself. I'm just giving you the opportunity to prove your knowledge. The rest is up to you."

"An opportunity for which I can never hope to repay you."

"You already have. Ten fold."

"I didn't do anything anyone else wouldn't have done."

"I doubt that very much." Helen pointed to the untouched sandwich. "Now eat and you can remove this chest tube when you're done."

Tegan walked in and pulled up Helen's latest x-rays up on the screen. "It looks good but I want you to stay overnight at least, so I can keep a close eye on you."

Helen nodded hoping to set the precedent for how patients should act.

Tegan removed the chest tube and put an airtight dressing over it. She held up a syringe of Morphine.

"No, but I will take some Motrin."

"Something stronger?"

Helen thought for a second. "Lorcet then."

"Very well." Tegan came back a few minutes later with the requested pill.

"How'd you get into the med locker?" Helen took the pill with a gulp of water.

"Henry gave me temporary access. If it's a problem –"

"It's perfectly fine." Helen cut her off. "So tell me a little about you."

"There really isn't much to tell."

""Yeah, I don't know. I'm sure you've got lots of interesting stories."

Tegan shrugged with her eyebrows.

"Well if you won't tell me of the adventures of Major Kiser MD, then maybe you can sing me to sleep?"

Tegan blushed, a crimson tide sweeping up from her chest causing Helen to grin. She couldn't help but think blushing became her. She thought it was cute.

"It was a one time thing."

"Oh come on, humor an 'old' lady." When the room had grown beyond silent Helen spoke again. "Have you ever sung professionally?"

"Not exactly, I started singing when I was in grade school to pass the evenings, and then in college I joined an acapella group that preformed. When I was stationed at USARIID I got together with two other women and a male friend from my college days, actually the same neurosurgeon who helped with the surgery for my arm, and we created a group called the Knight-n-Gales. We did a lot of acapella, sang in a nightclub, did some events like weddings when it didn't conflict with our schedules. And for the last year, year and a half I've sung on the weekends I was home in a bar which was brought on by a dare from my CO during karaoke one night."

"See." Helen yawned. "I knew you were good. I bet you could record an album."

"I just do cover songs." She blushed again, but not as deeply.

"Still." Helen's eyelids drooped as she tried to fight the sleepiness brought on by the pain medication.

"'Lay down, your sweet and weary head. Night has fallen, you've come to journey's end. Sleep now, and dream of the ones who came before.'"

Helen sighed at the beautiful voice singing 'Into the West'. She was asleep before Tegan even reached the middle of the song.

* * *

><p>AN: Lyrics from "Into The West" from LOTR Return of the King writter by Fran Walsh, Howard Shore and Annie Lennox.


	38. Chapter 38

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 38**

Two days later Helen was in the infirmary checking on supplies with Will's help, when she dropped the wrong thing into the biohazard waste bin that Kate should have emptied before now. She grumbled lightly letting it slide. She knew Kate was slacking mainly because of the sutures in her arm. She reached in a pulled out the box planning to dump the containers and return the cardboard to the trash. As she lifted the box out she saw the young girl covered in dried blood looking up at her. She picked it up and flipped the picture over.

"It's Tegan's, she used it to temporarily seal your chest wound." Will pointed to the approximate area.

"It's laminated, and I'm sure it's salvageable." Helen put the box down and walked over to the sink. "It's the only picture she has from home."

"Who is she?" Will asked as Helen started cleaning the blood from the picture with copious amounts of alcohol.

"I don't know, but she carries it with her most of the time, so I assume it's someone important."

"A daughter?"

"It's possible, though she listed zero pregnancies on her medical history."

Helen stopped unseen in the partially open doorway to Tegan's quarters when she heard soft strains rising from with in.

"'Home is behind, the world ahead, and there are so many paths to tread. Through shadow, to the edge of night, until all the stars are alight. Mist and shadow; cloud and shade. All shall fade, all shall fade." *

Tegan turned as she heard Helen clear her throat. She blushed lightly. "I didn't realize the door was open."

Helen smiled softly. "It was lovely."

"You can come in."

Helen stepped past the threshold and held the disinfected picture of Cassie up. "I found this while checking inventory."

"You're supposed to be resting."

"Will is doing the heavy lifting." Helen stretched her arm out and Tegan took the picture from her fingers. "Who is she?"

"Cassandra Fraiser, Cassie." Tegan flipped the picture over and looked at the lines from Dylan Thomas on the back. "It's complicated."

"I'd like to tell you it gets easier, but I'd be lying."

"She's not my daughter." Tegan sighed knowing Helen was referring to Ashley. "Not really anyway. Thank you for returning it."

"Thanks for using it to save my life." Helen realized she didn't want to talk about it.

Tegan looked away. "I wish you would stop saying that."

"What, that you saved my life?"

"Yes." She looked back.

"But you did."

"Oh hey." Henry stopped in the entryway to the kitchen. "I didn't know you were fixing dinner."

Tegan turned as he was backing out of the room. "Are you avoiding me Henry?"

"Avoiding you?" Wh-why would I do that?" He stuttered.

"I didn't see anything." She admitted. "I was a little preoccupied at the time."

"Oh, that." He played dumb. "No problem."

* * *

><p>"There you are." Helen found Tegan up on the roof Friday evening. "Pizza's here."<p>

"I think I'll pass." She looked out at the skyline and took a deep breath.

"You need to –"

"I know." Tegan glanced sideways as Helen stepped up onto the merlon on the parapet beside her. "I'll get leftovers from last night in a little bit."

"Kate told me you passed your driving tests today."

"I did."

"Then you'll need these." She held out the keys to the Ducati.

"I couldn't." Tegan shook her head.

"You can and you will. It's not doing it any good just sitting in the garage."

Tegan shook her head even as Helen placed the keys in her hand.

"Please."

"Thank you." Tegan looked down at the keys.

"You can wear Will's helmet tomorrow when you go out to get your own, and some riding leathers. I left money in an envelope on your pillow."

"The tooth fairy leaves the money under the pillow." Tegan commented dryly.

"Very funny." Helen smiled sarcastically.

"I'm planning on applying at the ER on West Street, see if they'll hire me on as an orderly or something while I'm waiting to take boards and for the results to come in. I'll pay you back."

"I wish you wouldn't."

"Pay you back?"

"Yes, or apply for a job."

"I can't keep taking advantage of your hospitality."

"You're not, you've stepped up when I've needed you and you've taken over the cooking responsibilities which I don't expect you to continue." She looked out on the city. "Besides, you sit for your exams next week."

"And it could take another three to four weeks before I get the results."

"Still, I would prefer if you didn't take an outside job at this point. A few more weeks is going to make little difference."

Tegan bit her lower lip. She liked Helen, for the most part, but she'd seen her somewhat controlling personality with the others from time to time. It hadn't bothered her too much. Despite the closeness they all shared she was still their boss. But Tegan wasn't her employee and she wasn't sure what to make of Helen's request. She looked back down at the keys in her hand.

"Don't second guess it." Helen said as she turned and stepped off the merlon.

When she went into her room that night there was an envelope on her pillow with a mobile phone sitting on top of it and a post it note on it. "You'll be needing this."

She wondered why Helen hadn't mentioned the phone earlier. _Must be slipping in her old age._

* * *

><p>Chapter End Notes:<p>

A/N: *Lyrics from "Edge of Night" (Pippin's Song) from LOTR Return of the King

It just happened that two LOTR songs worked perfectly in this story, it wasn't intended.


	39. Chapter 39

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 39**

The Monday after she took her final boards for both her DVM and MD licenses she'd just finished making French toast and sat down with the others when Helen came in. "Good morning, Dr. Kiser."

Tegan gave her an interested look.

"I pulled up your results this morning and you should be getting your letters and both licenses in the mail in the next two weeks. But you passed with flying colors. In fact you're the first person since the computer randomized testing to score 100% on the medical boards. It's quite impressive. You scored a 98% on the veterinary boards."

Everyone was smiling and congratulating her when Helen noticed she didn't look as happy as she expected her to be with the news. "What's wrong?"

"I expected at least a 99." Tegan shrugged as her phone rang. She looked at the number as she pulled it out of her pocket. So far Helen was the only person who had called her and that had been to see if she wanted to meet her for lunch while she was out shopping for riding leathers the day after she gave her the phone.

"I think that means you should answer it." Will pointed at it.

Tegan pressed the answer button. "Kiser. – Yes this is Dr. Tegan Kiser. – Next week? Yes I can be there. – Thank you."

Helen watched her slip the thin smart phone back into her pocked.

"Job interview." Tegan shrugged.

Will looked at Helen and raised an eyebrow.

"You'll be getting a lot of those calls as prospective employees troll the licensing site and see your test scores." Helen offered by way of explanation.

"Really?" Tegan knew her name and number would go into the database but in her reality test scores weren't included in the stats, it was more of a pass fail system.

Helen nodded. "I have a cantelipogus that's in labor and could use an extra set of hands today if you don't mind, Doctor?"

"Of course not." Tegan had been helping out around the Sanctuary where she could as often as possible. Helen had even offered to pay her an hourly wage, but Tegan had turned down the offer saying it was the least she could do in return for her room and board.

"Who's the interview with?" Henry asked. He was relieved he wasn't going to have to help. Cantelipoguses were slimy and it was even worse when they gave birth.

"A Dr. Anderson from the Seattle, Washington CDC office."

"Government job." Helen mumbled. "Figures."

By the end of the day Tegan was covered from head to toe in green phosphorescent slime and had ten messages on her phone. They were all from different hospitals and organizations wanting to set up job interviews.

Helen recruited her assistance early the next morning and kept her busy the rest of the week. It was six-thirty Friday when Tegan realized she hadn't had time to return any of the calls she was receiving. Because of all the activity, Helen had even had her go out on two missions to help capture abnormals. One had been injured when it was hit by a car, and the other was a juvenile causing a ruckus in town. Both were passed off as local wildlife in the news.

"It's been quite a week." Helen followed her down the hall.

Tegan turned and looked at her. "Is it always like this?"

"Sometimes it's worse." Helen smiled and handed her an envelope.

"What's this?"

"Reimbursement for all your hard work."

"I can't." She tried to hand it back to her.

"Of course you can." Helen turned and walked away. "Have a nice night."

"Thanks." Tegan mumbled.


	40. Chapter 40

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 40**

Monday at one o'clock Helen came into the lab to find Tegan bent over a microscope. She was wearing a knee length black skirt, heels, and an olive green silk shell under her lab coat.

"What time is your interview with the CDC doctor?"

Tegan looked at her watch. "In an hour, I'm done here anyway."

She shut the microscope off and started removing her lab coat. Helen picked up her suit jacket off the back of the chair. "You're not riding your bike in that, I hope."

"No. Will is letting me borrow his car." She took the black jacket from Helen.

"Good luck."

"Thanks." She wondered if Helen really meant it of not. She'd been a little cold over the last week but Tegan chalked it up to the busy week and some things that were going on at the Tokyo Sanctuary.

* * *

><p>Tegan walked into the Starbucks and immediately spotted her. Her mouth went dry and she could feel her heart skid to a stop and start beating again wildly like a tribal drum in her chest. She'd know her anywhere, and she was looking right at her.<p>

The woman in the US Air Force dress blues stood up. She was only around five foot two if you didn't take into account the clunky black heels she was wearing. Her long brown hair was swept into a familiar style and her chocolate brown eyes were locked on Tegan. "Dr. Kiser?"

"Janet, Janet Fraiser?" Tegan blinked as the woman dropped the hand she was about to offer her.

"Janet Anderson." She eyed the taller woman. "Fraiser is my maiden name. I haven't been called that in over a decade. Do I know you?"  
>Tegan caught the overhead light reflecting off the gold band on her left hand. Of course she wasn't her Janet Fraiser. She looked like her, talked like her, she even smelled like her, but she wasn't her. Tegan swallowed. "No, we haven't met. You reminded me of someone else."<p>

"Another Janet Fraiser? How odd." She looked down at Tegan's biomechanical hand as Tegan bit her lower lip. "You are Dr. Tegan Kiser correct?"

"Yes." Tegan wondered if there was a picture of her in the database too. It was the only thing that kept her from saying no.

"I was going to call you and cancel our meeting." Janet started by way of apology. "I received a call a little over an hour ago that the position was filled this morning. I felt, due to the late timing, it would be better to tell you in person."

Tegan nodded. "I appreciate the interest. I do wish you would have called as I had three other offers for interviews this afternoon that I could have taken."

"Well," Janet cleared her throat. "I'll keep that in mind in the future. I do appreciate you coming out and meeting with me. Can I at least buy you a coffee?"

Her Janet would have known she didn't drink coffee. "No thank you. I need to be getting back to the lab."

"I understand." Janet brought her brown eyes up to hers and licked her bottom lip.

It took every fiber of her being not to grab her and kiss her passionately on the lips.

"Good luck and it was nice meeting you."

Tegan hated false pleasantries but she nodded and thanked her all the same.

* * *

><p>"You're back early." Will opened the back of the van and tossed a crate in the back. "How'd it go?<p>

"Thanks for letting me borrow your car." She held the keys up to his chest and let go of them.

He caught them mid air. "Are you ok?"

"Just peachy." She walked inside without looking back.

"Hey do you have a minute?" Will stuck his head in Helen's office.

Helen looked up from her paperwork and nodded. "Come on in."

"Tegan's back." He dropped into the chair in front of her desk.

"Already?"

"Yeah and she's not herself."

"In what way?"

"For one her eyes are dark. I know that sounds crazy, but they aren't as green and animated as they usually are. Plus she just dropped my keys in front of me, I almost didn't catch them.

"When I mentioned she was back early she didn't really comment and when I asked if she was ok she said 'just peachy'. Plus her affect is completely off."

"What do you want me to do about it?" Helen intertwined her fingers and rested them in her lap.

"Talk to her. Offer her a job here, you know you want to."

"Actually I don't Will."

"You'd be crazy not to want her on staff."

"You didn't let me finish. I don't want to offer her a job until she knows what's out there. I don't want her to think this is the only life possible."

"So you're just going to let the WHO come and snatch her up?"

Helen raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't know they called?"

"It's not really my business."

"She's not going to ask you to stay here, and I know you can't run a background check and find out every little thing about her."

"I don't do that."

"You knew when I switched from boxers to briefs." He hadn't forgotten Ashley informing him of just how much Helen knew about him. "Look, all I can tell you is when she gets an offer she can't refuse she may accept it on the spot and I don't want to see you regret not talking to her sooner."

"I don't know Will." Helen sighed.

"You let Kate stay and she worked with the Cabal." He rubbed his palms on his jeans. "Would you at least talk to her about today?"

Helen nodded.

* * *

><p>"Nikola." Helen spotted him in the hall as she came out of Tegan's quarters. "Have you seen Tegan?"<p>

"Dr. Sunshine?" He grinned. "She buzzed past about five minutes ago all decked out in black leather."

"Henry." Helen spoke into her two-way radio. "Lock the garage down.

"Sorry Doc, if you're looking for Tegan you're too late. She just pulled out."

"Damn it." Helen said to no one in particular before depressing the talk button again. "Is there a GPS tracker on her bike?"

"No. Her phone has one though, if it's turned on. Give me a sec." After a minute he came back over the radio. "It's on…"

"Good. I want you to keep track of her. I'm going out to find her."

"No can do Doc."

"And why not?"

"According to her phone, she's sitting in her room."

"Did Helen's favorite toy run away?" Nikola rubbed his chin between his thumb and first two fingers.

"I'm concerned about her." Helen shook her head. She didn't need to explain herself to anyone, especially not him.

At two-thirty Helen looked up from the book she was reading as Tegan stepped into the foyer pulling her red and black helmet off and shaking her hair free. It was the first time Helen had seen her in her leather pants and she couldn't help but stare.

"You waited up for me." Tegan sighed and headed for the stairs. "You shouldn't have."

"I tried calling you." Helen held her phone up. It wasn't a complete lie, she had called it when she couldn't find the phone. She ended up finding it in the pocket of the suit jacket Tegan had worn earlier.

Tegan turned as Helen approached and took the phone from her out stretched hand. "I guess I was in a rush."

"I take it the interview didn't go well."

Tegan started up the stairs. "It's late."


	41. Chapter 41

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 41**

Helen knocked on the door a few minutes after Tegan had closed it. She wasn't ready to just let it drop.

"What do you want?" Tegan opened the door a little. Her face and her tone were more weary than accusatory.

"I want to talk." Helen pushed the door lightly, testing the waters.

"And I don't." Tegan unzipped her riding jacket letting it fall in a heap on the floor.

"Humor me."

"You're relentless."

"I am." Helen nodded, stepping in and closing the door behind her. "And I won't leave until we've talked."

"Then talk." Tegan removed her prosthetic and laid it on the desk. She kicked her shoes off haphazardly on the floor as she made her way to the bed.

Helen looked at the discarded shoes and jacket littering the floor and immediately knew Will was right. Something was most definitely off. Tegan was always so neat to the point it was almost an OCD thing. "How did the job interview go?"

Tegan flopped on the bed and starred at Helen's legs, something she normally didn't do because they were so distracting. But right now she didn't want to look into her eyes.

"Are you going to work for the government?"

"You know," Tegan started as she pulled out the picture of Cassie. "She's not here."

"She's not?" Helen stepped over the forgotten clothing on the floor.

"She doesn't exist here."

"How do you know?"

"Because she isn't originally from earth. Nirrti, a Goa'uld who made it her goal in life to torture me, turned Cassie's life upside down before we ever met. She set a trap to try and destroy the stargate on earth and killed everyone on Cassie's planet except her. She knew SG1 would find her and take her back to earth with them, so she turned her into a Trojan horse. She put an organic bomb in her chest."

Helen noticed her eyes. Will was right, they were dark. Dark like they had been when they had glowed and when she was in pain. "That's horrible."

"She lived, though it was a close call." Tegan looked at the picture fighting to keep the tears at bay. "She's a good kid, but she doesn't exist here."

Helen stood there in the silence wondering why she'd shared that story and whether she should ask for more details.

"None of them exist here."

"I don't understand." Helen stepped up to the side of the bed feeling the need to be closer.

"Her mom was my…" She took a deep breath and started over. "Her earth mother was Janet, Dr. Janet Fraiser. She adopted her."

Tegan looked up at Helen and saw an unspoken understanding, void of any judgment.

Seeing the tears filling her eyes, Helen reached down and touched her shoulder.

Tegan's heart tripped over itself. She felt a spark at the touch, and it wasn't the first time. She wanted so badly to ignore it. "I saw her today."

"Janet?" Helen already knew the answer.

"Yeah. Only it wasn't her. She isn't even a Fraiser here."

Helen wrapped her arms around Tegan. "I'm sorry."

Tegan inhaled her and let her body crumple in her embrace for a second before all her muscles went rigid with guilt and she pulled back. "She didn't even interview me. To her I was flawed."

That surprised Helen, she was certain the CDC of all places would have placement for someone of Tegan's intellectual standing regardless of their physical limitations, of which she was finding Tegan had none. "I'm sure that's not the reason."

Tegan nodded, she knew her arm might hold her back from obtaining a more demanding job. But working for the CDC or WHO, it hardly seemed likely. "Anyway, I guess I just realized today that I'm never going to find the people I knew before here. They just don't exist."

Helen wanted to tell her again that she was sorry, but she wasn't. She was sad to see Tegan hurting, but at the same time she knew it was a realization Tegan needed to come to on her own in order to eventually move on. It was progress.


	42. Chapter 42

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass 42**

Helen found Tegan in the library at eleven the following day. "I really need your help."

Tegan glanced at her watch. "I've got an interview in two hours."

"We'll be back, it shouldn't take that long. I need to go pick up a rare species of abnormal from the docks and I've gotten reports that it's injured."

"Can't Will or Henry go?" It wasn't like Tegan to whine.

"They're both already out, so is Kate. And my old friend draws unwanted attention during daylight hours." She studied Tegan's expression. "Please, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

"I'm going to miss my interview." Tegan mumbled as she nodded her consent.

"I thought you said it was injured." Tegan was facing Helen in the warehouse at the docks where the abnormal had accidentally been let out of its crate and had injured two dockworkers. Her interview was twenty minutes ago.

"That's what I was told." Helen looked up to see the winged creature swooping down toward them. "Duck!"

Tegan ducked and rolled which would have been a great move except as she rolled away from where Helen was pointing her gun, Helen changed direction and Tegan didn't see it. Helen hit her in her right shoulder.

"What the hell?" Tegan stood up and turned to the creature who had just landed right behind her. She watched him lick the thick red substance from his arm for a minute before she collapsed.

"Oh dear." Helen looked from Tegan to the abnormal who was staring between them. "Good job."

When Tegan woke up she was in the infirmary and Helen was nearby. She sat and blinked several times, her head still not completely clear. "You shot me."

"Actually you rolled into the path of the tranquillizer."

"No." Tegan rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hands. "You were aiming to my left, I rolled right."

Helen shook her head. She wasn't sure why it matter, things like this happened on occasion.

"I missed my interview."

"I know." Helen offered her a brief look of apology.

"And you shot me!"

"We did get him, if that's any consolation."

"How was he injured?" Tegan kicked her feet over the side of the bed.

"He wasn't. He was agitated from being in the crate so long. His wings must have clipped those two dock workers, because when you passed out he was perfectly docile."

"I didn't pass out, you shot me." Tegan shook her head, it wasn't that important. "I saw blood."

"He flew into a crate of glass ketchup bottles. That's what he was licking off."

"I missed my job interview." Tegan repeated and then stood up, all of her blood rushing out of her head. She swayed like a drunk on a sailboat in the middle of the sea during a tropical storm.

Helen grabbed both her arms to steady her.

"Ow!" Tegan pulled free.

"Sorry." Helen watched her fumble with the prosthetic before getting her shaky hand to the thumb reader to jerk it off.

"It's fine." She panted.

"Inflamed nerves?" Helen didn't wait for an answer. "I didn't realize the phantom pain was that bad. It's only going to get worse if left untreated. I could take care of it for you. It's as simple as cauterizing the nerves."

Tegan stared at the floor.

"You've never considered it, have you?" For some reason she was overly amused at having thought of something before the young doctor.

Tegan shook her head and lifted her eyes to Helen. "It's not my area of expertise."

"And here I thought you were a walking medical encyclopedia."

"Very funny." Tegan took a deep breath.

"I meant it as a compliment."

Tegan nodded.

"Do you want a job?" Helen surprised her by changing the topic. She hadn't really planned on broaching the subject yet and it had just come out.

"I did have a job interview today." Tegan reminded her.

"No, I wasn't very clear was I? I meant here. I could really use someone with your skill set here. And you seem to fit in perfectly with everyone." She noticed the greens in her irises were shifting. "I won't lie to you; the hours and the pay suck but it's free room and board. And I can promise you the adventures of a lifetime."

Tegan wondered if she hadn't had enough adventures for several lifetimes. But if she thought about it, she would never be happy working with 'not her Janet' at the CDC, or working with the WHO. No, she wasn't wired for a standard job. She was an adrenaline junkie and would be until she drew her last breath. Still she wasn't sure about working for Helen.

"Think about it." Helen said when she realized an answer wasn't forthcoming. "And your arm. They aren't contingent on each other."

The next morning Helen walked into the kitchen. "Has anyone seen Tegan? I went to make sure the tranquillizer had completely worn off and she wasn't in her room."

"Yeah." Will nodded and dropped his spoon in his empty bowl letting it clatter loudly. "She asked to borrow my car. The guy from the WHO called this morning and apologized for missing her interview. He was called out of the office at the last minute or something. Anyway he had an opening and wanted to know if she could come in."

"Oh." Helen frowned.

"Kiser." Tegan answered her mobile phone as she left the interview office.

"Dr. Kiser, this is Dr. Anderson with the CDC."

Tegan would have recognized that voice anywhere. She stopped walking. "Yes?"

"I'm still in town and after talking with my supervisor it seems the position is still open and I was hoping we could meet and actually do the interview this time."

Tegan looked up at the clear blue sky. Of course she wanted to see her again.

"Dr. Kiser?"

"I'm sorry." She watched a bird soar above her as her head outweighed her heart. "But I've already accepted a job."

"I'm sorry to hear that, I believe you would have been a great asset." Janet paused and Tegan could hear her lick her lips. "Congratulations and good luck with your new job."

"Thank you." Tegan ended the call and took a deep breath. Now all she had to do was tell Helen.


	43. Epilogue

**Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:**

**Step Through the Looking Glass Epilogue**

Helen was in her office when Tegan knocked on the open door. She was still in her heels and charcoal suit she'd worn to her job interview, a small triangle of light azure peeked out the V of her jacket. Helen's eyes lifted from their pause at Tegan's chest.

"Are you kicking me out?"

"What?" Helen asked as her eyes finally reached Tegan's inquisitive gaze.

"All of my stuff is gone."

"Oh." Helen smiled. "Henry and Bigfoot moved you to more permanent quarters. I thought you would be more comfortable there. I hope you don't mind."

"It's a little presumptuous, don't you think?" Tegan promised herself not to let Helen walk on her.

"Unless you accepted a job out of the area, you're welcome to stay here as –"

"I've already accepted a job." Tegan cut her off.

"Really?" Helen stood up and stepped around her desk. "If you decided to go with the World Health Organization, then I was both presumptuous and wrong about you."

"They have good benefits, a very nice sign on bonus and I could travel the world."

"If that's what you want to do I won't try and stop you."

"I appreciate that." Tegan nodded. "But it's not what I want to do. The offer was very enticing. But they didn't mention 'the adventures of a lifetime' and I'm too young to settle for a boring desk job with occasional lab time."

"So does that mean you're staying?"

"I have one condition."

"What's that?"

"No secrets."

Helen smiled. Will had had the same condition when he took the job. "I think I can handle that. So staying?"

"Against my better judgment." Tegan smiled. "Yes."

* * *

><p>AN thanks to all of you who have left and continue to leave feedback/reviews. I can't tell you what it means to me as a writer. I so appreciate it. If you enjoyed this, remember it is the first in an on going series. I will start posting TCSS 2 in the next week, or so.


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